Reverse
by Anjelle
Summary: Instead of becoming a pirate, Luffy was dragged off by Garp to become a Marine. He's just been promoted to Captain and is about to have a face-off with the Whitebeard pirates. As the battle approaches, he keeps having dreams about a man named Ace who he never met. What will happen when he meets this man face-to-face on the battlefield? AceLu.
1. A Bit of Deja vu

**This is my newest fanfic! This chapter is rather short but I assure you the rest will be longer. I just basically wanted to complete the setting. Also there is a question in the Author's Note that I would like you guys to help me out with before I start writing chapter 2. And if you're interested in my other works then please check them out! Skip is about Pirate King Luffy getting thrown into the past and ending up on the Moby Dick. A Pirate's Resolve takes place 10 years after Ace died in which case Luffy has become the Pirate King and ends up finding a young boy who reminds him a lot of Ace (shameless advertising FTW :D). Also it's slightly AU.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. But I had a lot of fun writing this :D**

* * *

_Luffy was chasing someone. He was only a kid, probably around 7, and so was the boy ahead of him. This boy was a little older and a lot crueler. He had a darkness in his eyes that his young follower did not. He didn't speak, either, and did his best to keep Luffy away._

_"Ace! Let's be friends!"_

_Only seconds after saying that, the young boy saw a boulder get kicked off a cliff. He ran to avoid it, noticing his "friend" atop to the slope. No doubt he pushed it. The boy didn't bother to see if Luffy was alright and just left further into the forest. Luffy didn't mind. Sooner or later he was going to catch up to him. When he did, they would be friends._

* * *

Luffy and his crew waved as they departed from Marine Headquarters. He watched as his grandfather cheered from the shore among the small crowd that had gathered to see them off. All the men aboard filled with excitement as they thought of their first voyage. For most of them, that was it. Luffy had been out to sea before, but now he was the Captain for once. That was a nice change. Of course, he wasn't enthusiastic about having to call the shots – he wasn't very smart when it came to all of the technical jargon the Marine's shoved down his throat. If he was honest, he couldn't remember even a bit of it. Still, somehow he had made it. He wasn't sure why, but now he was Captain. That sounded nice.

The best part about the whole thing was that he had been temporarily assigned to the Grand Line. Apparently there had been a lot of fleets destroyed there lately by the Whitebeard pirates and the Marines were running low on people. Because of that, several ships were headed to assist them. This was the fun part for Luffy. Soon he would be able to go all out and fight with the most feared pirates in the sea. He was only being sent out because the situation was so dire, but he was satisfied none-the-less.

It was strange, though. Whitebeard wasn't one to attack furiously like he was. The only reason he would do something so drastic would be to protect his crew members. If the Marines had captured one of his men then it was their own fault they were getting destroyed, even Luffy had to admit that. He hadn't been briefed on it, though, so he couldn't be sure.

* * *

Luffy was sitting in his office. He wanted to get a look at Whitebeard's Commanders. That way if he ran into any of them he would be able to make an arrest. Of course, he really just wanted to kick some ass as soon as possible, but his men didn't need to know that.

When the Lieutenant dropped off the wanted posters, Luffy quickly rummaged through them. The first was Marco the Phoenix. That man was well-known even at HQ. Aside from Whitebeard himself, that guy was the strongest there. Luffy trembled with excitement. He would love the chance to try to beat up someone like him. Contrary to how little he paid attention during briefings, he remembered a lot about that guy. He was a mythical zoan-type user who could regenerate at will. That would be annoying to get around, but haki should be able to do_ some_ damage. He was the 1st Division Commander and with good reason; no Marine he faced had ever come close to beating him. Aside from that, there wasn't much to say – he was a mystery, really.

The next posters were of Jozu, Haruta and Izo. Though none of them rivaled Phoenix, they were all formidable opponents. No one in the Whitebeard crew was weak, though. These three were some of the strongest. To the knowledge of Marine HQ they also remained undefeated. Luffy's confidence was ridiculous but even he wondered if he could match up against them. He was only a Captain, after all; if it weren't for the situation he would probably be stationed at an island somewhere. That would be no fun, but he wasn't experienced with taking on such incredible foes. He'd been praised for his strength throughout his whole career, but this was probably going too fast. Oh well, at least he could have some fun.

Then he flipped to the next poster. His mouth dropped as he stared into the face of someone he never thought existed: _Portgas D. Ace. _This guy was apparently the 2nd Division Commander. His bounty was well over 500 million beli which was ridiculous for someone who seemed to have appeared from out of nowhere. That wasn't what shocked Luffy. This man was someone he knew. He never met him, though, if that made sense. He'd seen that face before. He remembered the name Ace so clearly that seeing it on paper gave him a sense of déjà vu. But still, he didn't know him.

Sometimes Luffy would dream. Since returning from his last mission, the dreams had all centered on this one black-haired boy. He knew that they couldn't have met in real life but when he would dream it felt like they'd always known each other. In those visions both were young. They never went in any particular order, which was confusing, but in each they were always together. Sometimes there was another boy with them but he hadn't caught the name.

Lately the dreams were so vivid that he began confusing them with memories. It was hard to tell when he was awake or asleep when that happened. He never expected that boy to exist, let alone be a Commander under Whitebeard who was said to be the strongest man in the world. Well, it had to be a coincidence. He never saw the boy from his dreams grow up, so they might have just shared the same name.

* * *

After stuffing his face and playing tricks on his crew all day, Luffy headed to bed. The poster from earlier hadn't left his mind. Just what the hell was going on? He forced himself to drop the subject and relaxed. That was no time to be wondering about some stupid dreams. He needed his rest. In three more days he would be face-to-face with the most infamous pirates in the world.

_Panting heavily, Luffy dashed past trees and foliage until he came to a steep cliff. He stood tall. Below the cliff there was a small boat leaving Fushia Village's dock. Ace was on that boat. He was so proud of him. Finally he would be setting out. He imagined all of the adventures he would go on and couldn't wait for his day to come too._

_"Luffy!" Ace saw the boy and shouted happily his way. That would be the last time they would see each other for a long time. It was sad, but only a little. It was necessary in order for them to follow their dreams. He'd miss him a lot though. After 7 years together the time finally came when they would have to part._

* * *

"Captain, I think I see something!" one of the Marines called from the crow's next. After several minutes, the objects came in closer view. "It's Whitebeard!" The man sounded like he'd seen a ghost. His face turned pale white and he looked like he was going to pass out from shock. Not Luffy, though. No, he had been waiting for this.

"Who are they fighting?" he asked calmly, seeing tiny balls of light emerge from the black dots in the distance. He could hardly contain himself. That was it. Finally!

"It seems to be one of the Vice Admiral's ships. There are two others but I think they've been taken out!"

Luffy grinned in anticipation. There were a lot of really strong guys over there. He could finally let loose! His past opponents barely put up a fight, it was a joke. Now _those_ were real pirates. They were the reason he'd joined the Marines in the first place.

"Prepare for battle! We're going in! Shishishi!"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! But I couldn't put any more in this chapter. See, I'm having a bit of a dilhemma: I have two ways that the story can go here and I'm not sure which one to pick. So I'm going to ask you guys for your help. I'll give you a brief synopses of the two differences and then you tell me which one you would prefer and why. The one that inspires me the most will be the one I write. Of course, I'm going to continue it either way but the update will come a lot sooner if you guys help me out in your reviews because I'm a really undecisive person.**

**1) Luffy has amnesia to a certain degree (remembers some things but not others) and doesn't remember Ace. He was taken from Goa Kingdom by Garp after the 'incident' that caused his amnesia and began training as a Marine. The dreams would be vague memories of his resurfacing **

**2) The story splits from CANON earlier and Garp brings Luffy to train under him after the incident with Shanks instead of handing him over to Dadan, meaning that he never met Ace. The dreams he's having would actually be the memories of a Luffy from an alternate reality (i.e. CANON Luffy) that he's recieving.**

**Now what I end up choosing will change the story drastically. Both of these ideas go in a very different direction (In 1st Ace knows Luffy but Luffy doesn't remember him, in 2nd they never met but Luffy feels like he knows Ace) so it would be an immense help if you gave your opinions. I'd write both if I had the time but university starts back up on Monday XD So yeah tell me what you like and why you like it and I'll try to get chapter 2 up tomorrow if I can decide by then.**

**The fate of this story rests in your hands! No pressure though :P**

**Until next time, my lovelies~**


	2. Prelude

**Disclaimer: You guys are so mean, wanting Ace to suffer because Luffy doesn't remember him D: Oh the angst. You chose it so here it is!**

* * *

Ace finished off the Marines one by one. His attacks were so effortless that he was actually getting bored. Commissioned officers were always so weak; he didn't know why the World Government was sending them after such a notorious pirate crew. There had to be a reason – low on staff, maybe? He laughed at that. Oyaji had them take out so many fleets lately that it was no wonder the number of worthy foes was dwindling. It was ridiculous that the government was still trying. At that point they were just sending their men to their slaughter. Kinda sad, though he didn't sympathize with them.

Izo, Haruta and the other commanders were in the same state he was. They were starting to feel sorry for the Marines, but that's what happened when you made Oyaji angry. The commanders should have stayed onboard and let their divisions handle it. It was such a waste of time. Some began to retreat back to the Moby Dick to relax while their men handled the rest. The enemy was an embarrassment to both Marines and pirates.

As Izo turned to return to the deck, he spotted something off in the distance. After squinting he realized that it was in the shape of a ship. They hadn't called for back-up so it obviously belonged to the Marines. He sighed while deciding that they shouldn't retreat just yet. It wasn't a big deal, but it was best not to leave their underlings to deal with another ship; they didn't have the same stamina that the commanders did. Besides, what if there was a Vice Admiral on the ship? Their forces could have ended up annihilated.

"Hey," he called out, being sure that everyone heard, "we're not done yet."

All of the commanders turned to where Izo pointed and sighed. Lately they never had a chance to take a break. They kept a close eye on the distant figure and were glad that it was only one ship. If they were lucky, they could finish it up in a good twenty minutes and be on their way. They envied Marco who was allowed to stay on the ship. Apparently there was no reason for him to waste his strength on such small prey.

Ace stopped pummeling the enemy long enough to see where his fellow commanders were staring. He looked over and as soon as he did he saw a long, skin-coloured…thing approach. Before his brain had time to process what he saw, something from the faraway ship shot at them. As it passed him by, he saw a head of black hair and a white uniform. For a minute he thought he saw his brother, but there was no way _he _would be caught in Marine garb.

The other commanders watched blankly as the young man catapulted their way. Before even landing he drew back his fist and mumbled something under his breath before a stretched arm went flying into Vista's face. The 5th Division Commander was thrust back and into the body of the ship. His comrades stared in awe. No one –not even the Vice Admirals they faced before – had managed to knock that man down.

The enemy clapped his hands together and dusted himself off. He was young, somewhere in his late teens. Despite his age he wore a Marine Captain's jacket, no doubt to show off his rank. Clad in white, the boy looked rather off. Izo didn't think it suited him, but that didn't matter. When he turned around he revealed abnormally large eyes with a scar adorning the left. He didn't look strong but his actions proved otherwise. Their battle was getting interesting.

"So," he began, grinning wildly, "you're the Whitebeard pirates?" His voice was high-pitched for a boy his age. Familiar. Ace found himself turning around at the sound of it. His heart stopped when he realized who it was.

"Think you can take us on?" Haruta taunted as her sword made its way to face the new foe.

"Of course," Luffy stated. His smile was playful yet serious. The trademark hat of his sat atop his head and shadowed his eyes, making them appear all-the-more dangerous.

Seconds later they both shot at each other. Luffy stopped her blade between his hands and kicked her in the side. She went flying but adjusted herself mid-air and was back lashing at him as she did before. Her speed was incredible, but she seemed to lack the strength her comrades had. Still, she wasn't weak. She grazed his arm with her next blow and he clearly felt the pain. After backing off a bit, she thought he was going to withdraw. He didn't.

"I almost forgot," announced the boy as he took another step back. He altered his stance. Now it was more stable. Confident. He narrowed his eyes only slightly and suddenly everyone aside from him and the commanders were on the ground unconscious. That included the remaining Marines. After noticing that, he rubbed his head nervously. "I need to learn control."

"Conqueror's haki?" Thatch wondered aloud. He'd been watching the fight from the Moby Dick's deck and was surprised when he saw that boy appear.

"Hm?" Marco asked from where he was sitting near Whitebeard. His interest was piqued.

"Some Marine kid just showed up and used conqueror's haki. Only the commanders are left."

"Is that so?" He turned and looked at his Captain with a wry smile. "Oyaji?"

"Go on, son."

"Then," he began as he walked away and hopped onto the rail, "I'll go take care of it, yoi."

"You sure? They can handle some brat, whether he can use haki or not," Thatch stated, smiling his friend's way. It wasn't that Marco _needed _to step in, he _wanted_ to. Thatch could see that clearly in his comrade's eyes despite their half-lidded appearance.

"Can't have them get tired out. We might be attacked again, yoi."

And with that, the blonde was off. He decided to get a look at the boy before taking action. Despite Haruta's furious attacks, he was holding his own. It was impressive, especially for some teenage Marine. He transformed his arms into wings and flew high above the battlefield surrounded by blue flames to analyze the area. The fight was taking place on the last remaining Marine ship. Off in the distance there were reinforcements. That would be annoying to deal with, so he shot his flames at the ship and sunk it. He wished he could do the same for the other but that would risk injury to the Whitebeard pirates. He sighed.

Down below both Haruta and the Marine were wearing down. They were covered in minor wounds, but it was their stamina that would decide the battle. However, neither would back down. Their attacks had been so furious that they were barely visible, but Haruta was clearly slowing down the fastest.

Luffy was having fun with that Whitebeard commander but something in the sky caught his attention. He saw the blue flames he had been waiting for. It didn't matter if he was tired or injured or even if he died so long as he had a chance to fight against the strongest member he could find. With those thoughts in mind he thrust himself upward and was face-to-face with the blonde man. He noted the man's tiny show of surprise and showed him a deadly grin.

"Been waiting for ya, Phoenix." With that, he shot his fists repeatedly at the man. He avoided them all and shot his flames at his enemy's chest. Each hit and he shot back down to the boat, breaking the wood floor on impact.

"Luffy!" Ace finally snapped out of his stupor and ran to the aid of his brother. His fellow commanders raised their eyebrows, including Marco who took his place next to the giant whole. Ace looked into the broken floor and saw sharp eyes glare up at him. He flinched at that – Luffy never made that kind of an expression.

Before he could say anything more, the Marine boy shot his fist at him and grazed his cheek. And it hurt. It shouldn't have, but it did. It was haki. Luffy didn't even know what haki was when he last saw him. Something wasn't sitting right with him. The worst of it all was his attire – Luffy, a Marine? There had to be some kind of mistake. It was a joke. It had to be. It had to be.

Luffy shot himself threw the wood and landed on the far-side of the whole. He was clearly on his last leg, no match for the great Phoenix. His breath was shallow and heavy and he was covered in burn marks. He knew he wasn't going to last. But he couldn't stop. Marines never gave up. They couldn't. They were the protectors of the people. If they didn't stand up to the pirates, who would?

"So that's the power of a mythical zoan-type, huh?" He laughed a little at this and wiped the blood from his mouth, leaving a smear that went all the way down to his chin.

He charged at Marco again. Each time he attacked he was met with a flaming fist or leg. Each attack left more wounds. They could smell burning rubber coming from his body; it was so strong that some of them felt sick. It was actually hard for the commanders to watch him continually get up despite being so beaten. He was barely conscious and was just running on instinct at that point. Eventually he collapsed.

Marco neared to deal one last blow.

"Wait"! Ace shouted as he stepped between the two. He couldn't sit back and watch any longer. Marco stopped, but only because his friend's actions intrigued him. He retained his bored expression and waited for Ace to explain himself. "He's my brother!"

…They weren't expecting that.

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**A/N: I'm tired so please check back once the next chapter's posted for a proper Author's Note. I'll reply to the reviews then.**


	3. The Captive's Brother

**Disclaimer: Did anyone else not realize how old Marco is? He's been with the Whitebeard pirates for at least 22 years! That means he's probably in his forties! Does he look forty to you?!**

* * *

Luffy's eyes peered open to a dimly lit room. He was lying on a rather hard bed that had a lamp sitting next to it. The walls and ceiling were all wooden and smelled of the sea – something that was far too familiar to him. With one glance down he realized he'd been captured. Someone had placed seastone bands on his arms and legs, which explained why he was feeling as weak as he was. He was thankful that they weren't cuffs because escaping would have been near impossible if they were. At least now he had a chance.

"Sorry," a voice started from across the room, "they wouldn't let you on the ship without them."

Luffy looked up to see a freckled man wearing an orange cowboy hat: Fire Fist Ace. The man was pointing to the bands on his wrists but Luffy wasn't paying attention. He was more concerned with who was in front of him, seeing as he was recognizing a face he shouldn't have known. After thinking for a minute, he recalled seeing Fire Fist during his fight with the Phoenix. He hadn't processed the image back then and now he regretted remembering at all. That was the last person he wanted to see.

"What the hell happened to you?" The older male clenched his fists and teeth as he said that and made eye contact with the boy. He watched as large, blank eyes stared back at him. He realized then that the other boy hadn't a clue as to what he was referring to. It only agitated him further. "Why are you wearing that uniform?"

Luffy scoffed at that. "I'm a Marine," he declared matter-of-factly. He glared at the pirate sharply from the dark of the room. The only thing going through his head at the time was that he had to get out of there. Being captured by the enemy would no doubt make him the disgrace of the rookies. The only way he could redeem himself would be to bring back a pirate's head but he was clearly in no position to do that. So he would play along.

"Why?" the man shouted desperately. Clearly something was wrong. His tone was almost frantic and all of the muscles in his shoulders were tensed as he awaited a reply.

"Do I need a reason to fight against scum like you?" The shadows from his hat hit against his face and blacked out all but one eye. There was something almost inhuman about his expression.

"Luffy!" Ace blurted out, unable to listen to any more of his bullshit. He watched as his brother's eyes narrowed at the mention of his name. The boy sat up straight and leaned in curiously but the glint of hate never left his face.

"How do you know my name, pirate?"

"What are you on about?"

"My name," his tone deepened and a sense of danger rose into his voice, "how do you know it?" He articulated his words in such a way that it sounded to be more of a threat than a question. Something clicked in Ace's head. Luffy being a Marine wasn't the only problem – There was something off about him besides the obvious.

"What are you…?" Ace's voice trailed out as a thought emerged in his head. He hurriedly ran up to his brother and grabbed hold of his shoulders, gripping them firmly as he knelt down beside the bed. Fire Fist looked into his eyes in a panic and frantically tried to grasp the language to ask one more question. "Oi, do you know who I am?"

Luffy took a deep breath. He could feel the man's grip seep into his skin and his eyes had locked onto his so that he couldn't look away. Seeing him up close brought the memory of the child from his dreams to the forefront of his thought, but he dismissed it. "Portgas D. Ace. Fire Fist, 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard pirates with a bounty of 550 million beli."

"What else?"

"You refused the position of Shichibukai and ate the Mera Mera no Mi."

"What else?" He was starting to sound frantic. His grip was wavering.

"I don't make a habit of gathering information about pirates. That's all."

Ace let go of the boy and slowly dropped to the floor as he registered what had been said. He felt himself go cold despite being made of fire. Now it was starting to make sense. He wished he hadn't asked, though.

"Then…" his voice faded as he gathered his words. He looked up blankly at the Marine and cursed the expression on his brother's face. That wasn't Luffy. "…you don't remember me?"

Luffy flinched at that. It was strange seeing that man look so hurt when in his dream he always had an air of confidence about him. Of course, the boy from his dreams and the pirate that sat before him couldn't have been the same person, but they looked similar. It was eerie. Still, he would never associate with a pirate. They were monsters and it was his job to take them out. But his words were intriguing. How was he supposed to remember someone he never met?

"Strange," Luffy stated, referring to the man who sat only two feet away. He held his head in his hand and rested his elbow on his knee while looking at the pirate with half-lidded eyes. The more Ace saw, the more he realized how different that boy was from the brother he remembered. He didn't seem so different on the battlefield but now that they were alone it was like he was a different person. That was no doubt connected to the reason why Luffy had forgotten him. "So, get on with it."

"What?" Ace's voice was still uneven.

"You want to interrogate me or something, right? Hurry up with it." He paused for a second before adding another thought, "Oh, but I won't say anything. Doesn't matter if you torture me or not."

Ace rose to his feet and walked over to a wall. He punched it hard in a flash of anger and watched as woodchips flew in all directions. When he pulled his fist back, Luffy saw that the wood around the giant hole was charred from his power. He twitched but was otherwise unaffected. He'd pissed him off.

"You think I'd do something like that to my _brother_?" Though Luffy couldn't see his face he could hear that the man was upset. And then he realized what he said.

"The hell are you saying?"

"You're my brother, Luffy."

"You're insane! Damn pirate!"

"…So you really don't remember?" He lunged at Luffy, grabbed him tightly by his collar and holding him up to his face. For the first time Luffy felt worried. The man snapped. "How the fuck could you forget?" He screamed and sent a haki-infused fist flying into the boy's face. He pulled back and went to hit him again.

Thatch and Marco opened the door and immediately rushed to hold their companion back. Ace calmed down once he saw the blood running down his brother's face. After settling he stormed out of the room, muttering a low "sorry" before he left.

* * *

"You gonna tell me what that was, yoi?"

"He pissed me off!"

"Clearly," Thatch chimed in. He rested his hand on Ace's shoulder, assuring him that they were there to listen. He wasn't in much of a talking mood. After an awkward silence, he sighed and decided he would explain. They wouldn't leave if he didn't.

"I already told you that's my brother."

"And? Pissed that he's a Marine?"

"Not just that," he inhaled noisily as if the next bit would physically hurt, "he doesn't remember me." The two commanders stood their blankly before the information settled. That kid just kept surprising him. "And he's different. He's not acting like himself."

"He tell you what happened?" Thatch inquired.

Ace shook his head. "Doesn't seem to even notice he forgot."

"We'll figure it out, yoi. Your brother is our brother."

"Thanks."

* * *

Bowl in hand, Ace walked down to the room they were keeping his brother. He had to remain level-headed this time, no matter what crap the boy spewed next. If he didn't, Marco would begin bringing him his meals. He and Thatch said that they couldn't risk him beating the crap out of the kid three times a day. Ace agreed.

He knocked lightly on the door before letting himself in. The last thing he needed was to startle the Marine and end up with a fight on his hands. When he entered he saw Luffy laying face-up on the bed. He appeared calm, arms behind his head in informal show of relaxation. Ace approached slowly and placed the bowl on the table next to his brother. He sat in the chair across the room.

"What do you want now?" The Marine moaned in an exasperated sigh.

"Sorry," he scratched the back of his head, "…about before. I got carried away."

Luffy shifted when he heard that. He didn't think Ace noticed, but he did. It seemed they both had enough time to cool down because his little brother hadn't spouted any insults yet. He saw the younger male turn his eyes to the bowl but immediately return his gaze to the ceiling. Ace knew exactly what he was thinking: he may have changed but _that _part of him remained the same.

"Eat. We're not in the habit of starving our guests."

"Guest?"

"We're not holding you captive." Luffy hopped up and pointed to the bands on his wrists dryly. Ace rubbed his head. He didn't want to put those on him in the first place – they felt awful. "Marco didn't want you wrecking the ship. You're not a prisoner."

"Then can I leave?"

"No."

"Then I'm a prisoner."

"Just shut up and eat." Irritation laced his words.

At the sound of his stomach Luffy grabbed hold of the bowl and spoon and began slowly eating his meal. It was unnerving to see him take his time and neatly chew the food. The Luffy he knew would just swallow the whole thing in seconds and ask for more. He never had any delicacy – much like most of the pirates onboard.

"Why'd you become a Marine?"

"To kill pirates." There was no hesitation in his answer. Ace had to tense at that. Wouldn't a normal Marine say something about protecting the people or bringing pirates to justice or some other crap like that?

"Kill, huh? Rather specific of you."

"I hate pirates."

"Oh?" Though the comment aggravated him it also piqued his interest. His mouth curved in a wicked smile and he adjusted his hat, mimicking his usual battle stance from where he was sitting. "That so?"

"Did I stutter?"

They both fell silent. Luffy continued his meal and Ace simply watched him, realizing how different that Luffy was. He wondered what happened to the little brother he used to know. Why did he forget? The boy he remembered from before he left was a cheery little brat who laughed at everything – even himself – and could rarely be taken seriously. He was one of the only two people who were able to tear down Ace's walls when he was young. Where did that little brother go?

He noticed that Luffy was struggling to hold up the spoon to eat. With a short groan he hopped to his feet and headed towards the boy. They stared each other down. Ace ignored his brother's glare and knelt down. He took a ring of keys from his waist and unlocked the bands on Luffy's wrists and ankles, leaving seastone holds to drop hard to the floor. He watched as the boy's face turned to one of surprise. The pirate picked himself up and headed out the door.

"Why?" Luffy's question stopped him but he continued looking towards the hall.

"We're not monsters." Ace slowly turned around, revealing a forced smile and slightly furrowed brow. "What kind of big brother would I be if I kept you locked up?"

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**A/N: The longest chapter yet! *claps* I had a lot of fun writing it. Seriously, the drama! *O* I forgot to warn you in the last chapter because I was tired but Luffy's personality is going to be a lot different than how he normally is because of the option you chose. Ok? Ok. And I seriously doubt you guys can guess what's going to happen after the next initial updates. Go on! Guess! Try your best! HA HA HA! Ahem. So. Thoughts? Opinions? Come on guys, say what's on your mind! This story is seriously lacking reviews in comparison to my other fics. I wanna continue updating this but my updates are going to start being based on popularity once I start school. I'll still update all of them but I really would like to work on this one. I'm having fun with it! To be perfectly honest, Skip is my least favourite to write (sorry fans of Skip!) but it looks likewith a few more chapters it's going to take the top spot. I'll be both happy and sad if and when it beats A Pirate's Resolve XD So yeah, hopefully now that this story has picked up and the plot is starting we'll gain some popularity.**

**Oh and if you have any AcexLu fanfic ideas send them my way :D To celebrate how awesome you've all been I'm going to write a oneshot for you guys this weekend. If there's something you want me to write, tell me and I'll credit you if I pick your idea.**

**Now to reply to the lovely awesome peoples who reviewed chapters 1 and 2~**

**Shankie: I love you too Shankie~ Lol number 2 would have been fun to write just because it was goign to get so awesomely complicated! And it would have been longer. Oh well. Now they've met! How did you like their little reunion?**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Hehehe glad you like it! Was this chapter more or less exciting? As for drama, option 1 has less of it, contrary to popular belief. Less angst to, if you can believe that. So what do you think of his reaction? Did I do good?**

**Sealing Mistress: Your words are too kind! Yeah, I have a habit of putting cliffhangers right when things are getting good XD And thanks for saying you'll review every chapter! I really, REALLY appreciate it! It makes me feel sad when people fav and follow my story but give me no feedback.**

**RoXaS707: You got your wish!**

**bakahime123: Glad you do! Is this how you imagined Ace would react? XD**

**bbhelen3162: It's ok to be selfish! I'm selfishly asking for more reviews after all XD I'll hopefully add 1-3 more chapters before school starts. Depends on reviews.**

**lalunaticscribe: Yes but none of my stories are really plausible :P I like breaking the laws of the universe.**

**Son Goshen: Lol XD Awesomeness. The other idea is strange and illogical, but I had a reason for Luffy having other Luffy's memories. Well, I'm not gonna bother saying it now since it was unanimously voted against. This story isn't going to be as long because option 1 was chosen. Meh, it's fun to write it though. And actually the amnesia option has a lot less drama in it, as hard as it is to believe :P**

**siqwithaQ: Thanks for the review!**

**Portgas D. Paula: Thank you! Here's an update!**

**AkaNeko-san: Lol it was more complicated than that XD And a LOT more dramatic. By the end of it there was going to be a war between different realities. But you guys picked the story with less action and so I have complied! And you're not the only one :P I'm starting to think that most of my readers are satists lol but then again I'm not one to talk. Yeah but I find plausible stories too ordinary. I came up with a huge explanation that made the other idea more realistic and believable in case youguys chose it. Plus Luffy wasn't a jerk in that one!**

**Starbell Fairy: Thank you!**

**Natylol: A lot of people said that XD**

**XxSaorixX: Oh, he's strong. Real strong. I'm going to have fun writing his next battle (and I hate writing battles), THAT strong. But he also seems to have a death wish :P And yep, he knows haki!**

**Grey: Lol the people who read A Pirate's Resolve like that sort of role-reversal too. In it Ace is a little kid and looks up to Luffy XD**

**elixluna(2): Haha you should check you my other stories, I think they're pretty interesting too! (little voice: of course you would, YOU wrote them!) And now you know :D Thank you! Hope you enjoyed the update!**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo(2): ...Alright, I admit it. Does that mean I'm a sadist? (little voice: YES.) But yeah, hope this chapter met your expectations.**

**namelessreader(2): I'm so glad you like it! You're too kind! Here's your update since you asked nicely ^^**

**YingYang21(2): Your review confused me lol XD**

**AkaNeko-san(2): Oh yes, you have no idea just how long this journey is going to end up XD But here's an update. I'm sure you can tell that I had fun with it :D**

**angelrider13(2): I love yours too! A LOT! :D Oh yes, pleanty of angst. Trust me, ace is going to need a mountain of hugs before this is over. Thanks for the review as usual!**

**Insane Blood Prince (2): You predicted it! :O**

**RoXaS707(2): And even more drama this chapter! MUAHAHAHA! ...yes, I'll admit, I liked it. I liked the other idea a little more though because later on it would have gotten so confusing and dramatic and AWESOME! But I digress.**

**darkfalkon(2): My stories are all AU. I tweak a lot of aspects of the original One Piece world and decided to do that with Marco's abilities. Hope that's ok with you.**

**Son Goshen(2): I noticed XD Yeah, this Luffy takes reckless to a whole new level. A lot. He's going to risk his life like an idiot throughout a good portion of the story. It's part of his personality change from the memory loss. Lol glad you liked that. And not necessarily. For this fic since it's so AU I messed with the timeline a bit. Luffy's 17 but Thatch hasn't been killed by Teach yet. So right now all of his crewmates are in the same positions they were at the start of the anime. Sorry about the sentences. I wrote that chapter at 4am so I didn't have time to go over it before I went to bed and just uploaded it as it was. I have a habit of writing short sentences because when I'm reading stories and fanfics that have a lot of long sentences I get bored and stop reading no matter how good the plot is. It annoys me to no end. Sorry if you don't like it :( I'll probably fix it up tomorrow. I was going to tonight but its 4:30am so I have to head to bed soon.**

**XxSaorixX(2): Now you know! :D Lol it appears we're all a bunch of sadists. Hope you enjoyed the update!**

**(Thanks for the reviews lovelies! Please keep it up!)**


	4. A Brother's Betrayal

**Disclaimer: You're going to either love or hate this chapter. Emotion-wise it might confuse you. Either way, this was necessary. I'll was it again. I needed to do this for the story to keep going. Very important developement. Don't give me that look - it's true! Ya jerks...**

* * *

When he was certain no one was listening in, Luffy dug into his clothes and snatched a baby den den mushi from his person – they hadn't bothered to search him. He hurriedly dialed a number and waited for the person on the other line to pick up.

"Luffy?" The voice was raspy and deep with concern lacing his tone. The boy sighed with relief.

"Old man, I need back-up."

"Why? What happened?"

"I've been caught by Whitebeard's men." He waited for the abrupt gasp from his superior. "They took out four of our ships and they're keeping me on one of their ships. I've been hurt pretty bad. Not sure I'd be any help in a fight right now, but I'll do what I can."

"Alright." The man on the other side adjusted himself and groaned as he thought of what to do next. "We're repairing the ships that were damaged in the battle last week. Once they're fixed I'll head out with my men."

"How long will that take?" Luffy was starting to grow impatient. He heard his superior laugh.

"Cheeky brat! My men work fast!"

"I don't know how long I can stand these pirates, Gramps!"

"Luffy…" his voice faded as he searched for the right words to say, "…is there a pirate aboard named Ace?"

"Fire Fist? Yeah, he's here. Crazy bastard if you ask me. Why?"

"…"

"What is it?"

"Just hold out a little longer."

The Line went dead.

* * *

Ace heard the conversation from the other side of the door and made a mental note to inform Marco and Oyaji later. He had a feeling that the boy would try something like that – he was more cautious than the Luffy he remembered – so he waited a minute to make it seem like he hadn't heard their conversation before knocking and entering.

"You again?" Luffy scowled. He was getting annoyed with seeing that eerie face every time a meal was brought.

"I missed you too," the fire user shot back sarcastically.

Luffy looked to the man's hands and noticed they were empty. He shot Fire Fist a curious look – he hadn't entered the room for any reason other than to give him food. What was he planning? Surely he wasn't there for small talk. Even if he was, it would still be strange.

"Well?" The Marine motioned for him to explain himself, using the same bored and irritated tone he'd used throughout his stay there.

"Come with me."

"Why?" He knew there was something odd about it.

"You're dining with us tonight."

With that, Ace turned and unenthusiastically and headed out the door. Luffy noted that he'd lost his vigor since the day previous. Before they would shoot a few insults at each other, but he lacked the strength to do even that. The man was avoiding eye contact. Then there was what he had said: he was going to dine with the pirate crew? That was abnormal. Still, he followed lazily behind because he promised himself that he would play along for the time being. He was in no position to attack the most powerful pirate crew on the sea, especially as injured as he was.

He was lead onto the deck and saw the entrance to the galley. As the door opened, the cheering and laughing voices of hundreds of pirates flooded out onto the sea. The noise was deafening. They both entered and the Marine's appearance quieted the room into a dead silence. It was so quiet that he could hear the creaks in the floorboards as they walked and the breaths of all those around them. It was uncomfortable, having all of those people focus on him – all of those_ pirates_.

He was lead to the commanders' table. Thirteen of them sat side-by-side and waited for their final member and "guest" to arrive. He was seated across from Phoenix and in-between Fire Fist and Thatch. Everyone was still fixated on him and he had to watch the table to stop himself from spewing insults at the criminals.

"So _this_ is Ace's brother, huh?" Izo asked, though it wasn't really a question.

"I'm not. He's insane," Luffy shot back, brow furrowed, eyes still fixed on the wood in front of him.

After a few more moments of silence, the room broke out into a roar of laughter. This caused the Marine's focus to shift around the room to the pirates who mused over his words. It was irritating. The outburst subsided and the room went back to its natural loudness once more. However, there were still a few chuckles at the commanders' table. What was so funny?

"Clearly you don't know your brother well," Thatch stated, holding back the last of his chortling.

"He's not-"

"Ace doesn't lie – not about stuff like this, yoi." Though Marco's tone was serious, his expression was amused. His eyes were scanning the boy, analyzing his uniform and expression and the bandages covering his burns. The Phoenix's gaze was more than just intimidating; it was downright unnerving.

"Knock it off," Ace commanded with a weak sigh. Before anyone could object they saw the commander's head smack hard against the table's surface. The man went silent.

Luffy couldn't help but stare at his lifeless figure and the others followed suit. Was he dead? The other pirates weren't very concerned. It was a bit of a letdown when he heard the man snore, but he supposed it would make no sense for him to drop dead without reason.

"Ignore him, he's fine," Thatch assured him as he placed a large plate of food before the Marine.

"I wasn't worried."

"Of course."

Luffy stared at Fire Fist once more, a spark of curiosity showing in his eyes. He would never admit it, though.

"He's narcoleptic. He falls asleep without warning, yoi." Marco noted the boy's interest. Ace mentioned that his brother didn't even bother to look at him but that didn't seem to be the case. Perhaps he was focusing more on his elder sibling than either of them had realized. His words were harsh and his actions no better, but something was making him look Ace's way. While continuing his visual study of his friend's brother he saw that the boy began to eat and that the seastone he'd placed as a precaution was no longer there. "That moron…he removed your bands?"

"Probably shouldn't have a moron guard your prisoners," Luffy stated, delicately placing the spoon in his mouth and quietly chewing. He heard the Phoenix groan.

"Well, you're not exactly a prisoner."

"How so?"

"We wouldn't allow a prisoner into the galley, yoi."

"Then what am I?"

"A guest," Vista announced matter-of-factly. Luffy jolted at the word, recalling a similar conversation the previous day. Truly, the Whitebeard pirates were abnormal.

* * *

"Called for back-up?" Thatch inquired.

"Yeah," Ace rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. They were going to be caused a lot of trouble because of that stupid brother of his. The commanders were the only ones in the galley at that point. It was a bit of a midnight meeting to discuss some pressing matters involving the Marines. "And I recognized the voice on the other line: it was our grandfather."

"He coming?"

"Seems like it."

"When, yoi?"

"Not sure. I think he said he had to wait for some repairs."

"Then we have some time at least," Haruta stated in an attempt to lighten the mood. Ever since the Marine boy had shown up they had been worrying about the position it put them in. After all, they kidnapped a Marine Captain; that wasn't going to sit well with HQ. It was worse knowing that the boy's grandfather was going to be the one trying to track them down. What a headache.

"Sorry," Ace hung his head low and blocked his eyes with the rim of his hat, "we have enough worry about without my personal problems…" He had been beating himself up about it ever since the previous night. It was his selfishness that brought Luffy aboard their ship and it was him who insisted they take him with them. The others hadn't objected. They never would. Knowing that fact made him feel even worse.

He felt the hold of a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Thatch's usual grin of confidence and felt a weight lift from his chest. His crewmates were always there for him. They cared – always had.

"Don't worry about it! We're used to dealing with your messes," he teased. The fire user glared at him and all fourteen commanders burst into laughter. They then readied themselves to head to their rooms.

"I'll talk to Oyaji in the morning, yoi. Try to get some rest."

* * *

Luffy hovered over the limp figure of his "brother" and eyed his neck with determination. Truth be told, he hadn't done something like that before. What if he messed up? He did his best to put his wavering thoughts to the back of his mind as he fingered the blade in hand. No matter what, he had to remain calm – otherwise he would miss and if he missed everything would be over. Steady breath. Unwavering body. He thrust forward.

"That's not going to work, yoi." The voice brought him to a halt and he spun around, a frantic mess. The room's door was open. A large, blackened figure stood within it, arms crossed, taking a laid-back stance. It was the Phoenix and, no surprise to Luffy, he was unaffected by the boy's attempt. "You can't kill him as you are now, yoi."

"What?"

"So you hate me that much, Luffy?"

The Marine spun back around to the sight of his waking brother. Luffy had woken up to see Fire Fist asleep at his bedside. He thought it was the perfect chance to take the pirate's head and escape, so he stole a knife from another room and returned to off him. It was a cheap trick, he admitted, but it was something his superiors had drilled into him back at Marine Headquarters and utilizing it was his job. He never had to do it before, though. It felt wrong. Still, he was a Marine and it was his responsibility to rid the world of threats. He had to.

"Don't flatter yourself, Fire Fist." He scowled at his enemy before throwing the knife to the ground. There wasn't much he could do against someone who could regenerate at will.

He continued to watch Ace's face with a dull glare. When he saw the man's torn and hurt face, however, something inside him broke. His glower remained unchanged but inside he felt that something was wrong. The boy from his dreams flashed to the forefront of his consciousness and his feelings began to change. Reason aside, that pirate cared for him. He repaid that care by stepped all over him and trampling over whatever kindness he showed. Luffy tried to_ kill_ him. Something was wrong with that. Luffy was a Marine and he was a pirate – natural enemies – but he couldn't shake the small twinge of guilt that emerged in his chest. He pushed it aside. There was no time for emotional garbage like that.

"Fine, then." Ace rose to his feet, picked up his hat and dragged himself to the Marine. He glared coldly at his brother before tightly locking onto his wrist and forcefully leading him out of the room.

"Hey, Ace, what are you…?" Marco's objections were ignored as his comrade marched onto the deck. He remained dazed for a moment; Ace always listened to him. When he made his way up the stairs and looked around his eyes widened from their usual half-lidded appearance. Ace was pushing his brother's head over the rail, ignoring the struggles and forcing the boy to look at the water. He was leaning dangerously over the edge. "Oi!" Even Marco couldn't stay calm at that point. He rushed in.

"You still wanna give me that bullshit, Luffy?" He threated, fighting the boy's protests with ease. He was met with no reply. "You have nowhere else to go! We're all you have right now!"

The boy was flailing about, trying to get himself as far away from the edge as possible. All he could think was that the man had truly gone mad until he heard something. He slowed his protests and quieted himself to catch the sound better. Muffled sobs met his ears. The man's force lessened. Though he couldn't see him, he could hear Ace's near-silent cries and feel the warm droplets hit his back. He stopped resisting and there was a tearing pain in his chest. What had he done?

"Please…" The pirate's broken words carried on the wind, "I can't do this anymore…"

* * *

**A/N: So 2,000+ words is basically going to be the standard for Reverse from now on. There may be some exceptions, but generally that'll be the length. So be happy, the updates are going to be a lot longer than Skip's. Ha! Take that Skip fans! Why am I competing with my own story...? Oh right, because this story is seriously lacking in reviews and follows compared to my other two! I hate to do it but this might end up taking a back-seat to the other two stories anf become my lowest priority because of demand. If you want it to be updated more than the others once school starts for me then please support it! I have a lot of fun writing the angst in this story...**

**Ahem. Now to my lovelies.**

**bakahime123: So...is it good? To your liking? :D Luffy opening up is gonna take a while, as you can see. There is a method to his madness though! I assure you!**

**elixluna: Yay! Thank you~ I appreciate that. Lol yeah, but I think both options were equally as good for different reasons so you're not losing out on quality, don't worry! And yeah, you probably won't like this Luffy much. There's a reason for him acting the way he is though. A lot of reasons. Hopefully you'll warm up to him as a reveal some of his background. I'd do it if I have the time but I'm not going to once school starts. If enough people tell me that they would like to read it then I could start writing it at the end of April when my summer break starts. But only if it gets support. **

**bbhelen3162: You don't know the half of it XD I don't think most people realized just how torn this story was going to make Ace feel or just how negatively affected he was goin to be. And I'm pretty certain they didn't expect the Luffy they got from it, either. Lol I was going to explain everything carefully to make it easy to understand to avoid my readers going to the psych ward XD Did you expect him to suffer like THIS? *evil laugh* AceLu is awesome.**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Did I do good this time? Or worse? Well his personality change has to do with memory loss, yes, but it's more a result of what happened after he became an amnesiac. You'll find out what he does and doesn't remember later on. It's going to get a little confusing. Lol did you expect Luffy to attempt murder? Ace is too trusting. He should accept that his brother is clearly a bloodthirsty dog of the World Government! And lol you guys are all villans! You're the ones who are making the brothers suffer, remember that!**

**angelrider13: ...I can't answer that :P I just can't wrap my head around him looking so young though! I think I'm going to bring it up in one of the chapters of Switch. Or mayber A Pirate's Resolve. Well I'll mention it in one of my stories for sure.**

**XxSaorixX: But wouldn't it be sad if he was immortal? Cuz then he's have to watch everyone around him age and die while he stayed the same ;A; Lol you do? Seems a lot of people are hating him XD Still like him being a murder-attempting jerk? Then again Ace isn't acting much better...So did you expect any of the stuff that happened in the chapter? And as for the oneshot, it's ok I got permission from 2 awesome authors to take and alter their ideas for it! XD**

**RexLink: Yeah, I don't think many people realized just how different Luffy was going to be. Oh well XD And yeah, I know about his fire but since it's an AU story I wanted to change it up a bit. Hope it doesn't bother you! Ace making fire wings...don't temp me! :D Thank you! Glad you like!**

**namelessreader: Reviews mean a lot to me. It takes me sometimes an hour to write replies to them but I really do care about you guys and what you think so even if it takes up a lot of time I'll always reply. Well, except to the really short reviews where they don't say much XD I love those too though.**

**Emz: Here's an update!**

**Pandombie: I wanna update it a lot but Skip has become the most popular :( Hopefully this one picks up some more reviews and follows before I start school so I can keep it at high priority.**

**Terrie1234: Secret :P Here's an update! Hope it's to your liking!**

**YingYang21: Thank you!**

**AkaNeko-san: Lol and this chapter has even more angst! With the way Luffy's scting you have to try to see it from his perspective: he hates pirates (for reasons that will be explained later), was almost killed by Marco (he started it, but still), he's stuck on an enemy ship, has no idea who Ace is, is being told he's his brother in a rather violent way ect...not to mention after losing their memories amnesiacs experience great personality shifts because their experiences shaped who they were and not those memories are lost. Not to mention he's had it rough, though that hasn't been mentioned yet. I don't think you'll hate him forever, trust me. Also Luffy doesn't trust his dreams anymore (you'll see why in a future update). Nah, I'm not trying to make you regret choosing the first option. I have a lot of fun writing this story. I'm just teasing :P And I know Marco does not look that old! (Yes, the Author Note is growing rapidly :P)**

**Son Goshen: I know the theory but it's just so sad ;A; He stays alive while everyone around him dies? Too cruel! I'm sorry I shattered your heart. It was an accident. Did this chapter make it worse? Shit kinda got real hehe...and like i said in the reply to Aka-can, there are lots of reasons for his attitude. He's not as bad as he's making himself out to be. The hat's going to come into play later on. No, Ace won't be emo. Ace has a temper, remember, so his reactions aren't going to be very conventional. You guessed wrong! Did you expect THAT to happen? Muahahahaha!**

**Thank you all! Just remember that the more support this recieves the more likely it is to be updated!**


	5. Little Mishap

**Disclaimer: I hurt my hand writing this! I hope you're all proud of yourselves! *glare* ...It was the most fun to write of the story yet...**

* * *

Ace didn't return.

Two days had passed since that night but Luffy hadn't seen Fire Fist even once. He wasn't invited to sit with the pirates again and he was only visited by Phoenix, who gave him his meals. Truly, he felt empty. Once he heard that man cry he felt…wrong. He _was_ wrong. He was the cruel one, as much as he hated to show sympathy to a_ pirate_.

_"Please…I can't do this anymore…"_

Those words echoed through his head as he stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. He almost didn't notice the approaching footsteps. When the door opened, he absentmindedly lifted his mood.

"Ace?"

The teen's enthusiasm dissipated once he turned to see a blonde man with a pineapple-like hairstyle. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the man, clearly disappointed. Marco didn't care, though – he'd just heard something far too interesting to comment on the boy's attitude. Luffy never said Ace's name. How curious.

He headed nearer to the boy and placed a tray on the table, watching him with a wry grin that made the Marine's discomfort grow. "What?" He stuttered out a response, scowling in his usual manner. Marco didn't dislike the boy, but he didn't like him either. After all, it was his fault that his friend was so torn lately. He'd even heard Ace mumble something about bringing the boy aboard being a mistake even though the man had always been adamant about never regretting his actions.

"Worried?" he teased, holding back a laugh as the teen contorted his face in shock and embarrassment.

"Hardly!"

"So you are?"

"…Shut up!"

"It makes sense. You're the reason he's acting this way, after all." He saw the Marine freeze at this – he'd struck a nerve. With a sigh he straightened himself and headed out the door, turning one last time to give the boy a_ hint_. "We're not keeping you in here, yoi. The door's unlocked. We don't care what you do, so long as you don't try anything like last time, yoi."

"…Why are you telling me this?"

Marco grabbed to door handle and pulled himself forward into the hall. "You're not a prisoner."

* * *

_"We'll live freely, without regrets!"_

* * *

Luffy woke and the familiar, young boy from his dreams vanished just as it did every time he opened his eyes. Being on that ship drove him mad, leaving him nothing better to do than contemplate his dreams. He'd never gotten anything concrete from them – nothing more than a few words or scenes. He saw a boy, blackened hair framing his face, metal pipe in hand, and another boy who he could not quite make out, but nothing more. Once he was done his attempt at analyzing his subconscious, his thoughts would drift to the pirate – Fire Fist. His brain had conformed to that cycle since the moment he first woke on the ship and met the bastard. It made him, dare he say, _curious _about the man's claims. Just a little.

Head fevered, he remembered Phoenix's words from before. After a short internal fight, he decided to take him up on the offer and head to deck. He hadn't left the room since his "big brother" tried to throw him overboard. It would be nice to feel the sea air without the impending threat of being drowned, he thought. With that, he opened the door. Shockingly enough, it really was open. The ship was silent, most likely due to the late hour, and rather eerie.

He took to the stairs and headed onto deck. As the breeze flew through his matted, unkempt hair, he closed his eyes and took in all of the sounds and smells: sea-kissed wood around him, salty air wafting his nose, waves crashing against the vessel. He missed that. It had been five days since he was captured and he was beginning to miss his Marine ship and subordinates. He even longed for his title and duties, as much as he hated to admit it. How long until he was returned home?

Eyes now open, he spotted a shadowed figure hanging over the rail. One of the pirates? He squinted. After a brief ten seconds, he began to make out a long mess of waves and a muscular body. Identity clicking in his head, he watched as the man's form flipped over the ship's edge.

Wait. What?

He dashed over to the rail and stretched his arm, wrapping the rubbery appendage around his waist. Not leaving a second to spare, he flung him onto the ship's surface, panting as the adrenaline continued throughout his bloodstream. He'd acted on instinct and realized only then what had happened. Ah…he saved an enemy. Crap.

He couldn't help but wonder what Fire Fist was doing. Trying to commit suicide, maybe? He shuddered the thought away – something about it was…unsettling. Instead of guessing and risking a similar feeling, he looked at the man in question. His face hung low, unmoving. Luffy temporarily wondered if he was hurt or dead.

And then he heard it: snoring. His eyes lidded in death glare at the sleeping man, giving a pout more than a scowl. He recalled his sudden _attack_ back in the galley in the days previous and connected the two. Apparently the pirate's condition didn't care if he was facing death or not.

Luffy slid down against the rail, taking an exhausted rest next to the man who both angered and intrigued him. He hadn't made sense of any of their encounters; the man was unpredictable! In less than a week he'd been punched by a haki-infused fist, unchained, brought to his enemy's dinner table and almost been drowned. And now he saved the life of the man he had tried to kill. Without realizing. Really, he didn't have the energy for any more crap.

* * *

Ace wriggled, trying to regain a comfortable position. Noticing that he was upright and not lying in bed, he stifled a yawn, stretched and opened his eyes. He adjusted to the dim lights of dawn off on the horizon and cringed, noting that he'd somehow found his way onto the deck. Probably sleep walking, he assumed, or maybe he just didn't remember. It happened often that he would forget what happened right before a narcoleptic attack. He'd gotten used to it.

As he went to get up, he noticed a pressure on his upper left arm. Curious, he looked over. The pirate's eyes flared double their previous size, mouth quivering open at the sight of his young brother asleep next to him. He didn't know what to think. First, an overwhelming confusion enveloped him. It was quickly washed away by a wave of joy that was, moments later, muted by his despair. He didn't know how that had happened but the reality of his brother's memory loss and hatred for him doused any hope that had emerged. Still, even if Luffy would hate him for it later, he wanted to stay there for just a little longer. He missed his little brother.

Quarter of an hour later, Luffy stirred. He righted himself into a more comfortable position against his brother and fixed himself there. Ace thought he would stay asleep, but it didn't last for long. As the pinks and oranges entered the sky from the East, the boy's eyes opened. He swallowed deep in his chest, nervously watching the sleep wash from his brother's face. This Luffy had a temper – Ace didn't know how they'd gotten there but that would not stop the tiny Marine's seething anger, he knew.

Luffy's eyes adjusted slowly. All he could see was the blurred body and face of a man with wavy black hair. Having trouble identifying his dream for reality, he associated the black mess on the person's head with the child he'd just recently visited in his latest vision.

"Ace?" he questioned groggily, failing to rub the blur from his eyes. Having just woken up, he was still thinking the two were children in the forest he often visited, but his thoughts were too muffled to concentrate on saying any more.

Ace blinked back his shock, recognizing that soft, childish tone of voice as one from his childhood. This Luffy hadn't called out to him before. He was cruelly referred to as Fire Fist, a title he'd rather not hear pass through his brother's lips. The two shocks took him back, but he decided he would go along with it. He wanted it to last – the brief instance he had his old brother back.

"What is it, Luffy?" There was a clear trembling in his voice. He couldn't help it. Looking down at the younger male, he tried to smile, but was far too pumped to show anything but surprise and excitement.

"No, nothing…" The boy rested his head back on Ace's arm to go back to sleep, his first attempt at waking himself failing. He turned slightly, resting his arm on the other man's in his usual sleeping position as he settled. Then he noticed the hard muscle on his brother's arms. He also noticed the pirate's much larger size, which confused him. After wondering about it for a moment his eyes shot open and he bolted away from the pirate, a disgusted, wide-eyed scowl on his face. Brows furrowed, he stared at Fire Fist with an angry, questioning glare. "What the_ hell_?"

Ace adjusted himself to Luffy's outburst and his expression settled. Biting his lip, he wondered what to say. He had his old brother back for a brief moment and had to let his happiness leave him as his brother, the Marine, returned, giving him his usual, hateful glare. His shoulders sagged and he broke eye contact with the boy.

Luffy noticed this all too easily. He was becoming accustomed to the man's disappointed eyes and could pick up on it the instant his body shifted. Still awaiting a reply, he studied the man's movements. Apparently he had been calm while Luffy slept, now becoming a nervous wreck. Fire Fist wore his emotions on his sleeve, at least in front of the Marine. He couldn't help but feel that same twinge in his chest that he felt three nights ago.

"I don't know. I woke up here, same as you." His voice held no enthusiasm or emotion, contrasting his face. It made that strange feeling of Luffy's grow. He hated that.

Suddenly the events from the night before flooded the boy's mind, leaving him to cringe and sigh and relax once more against the rail, though not against his enemy. He noticed that Ace watched him from the corner of his eye but paid no mind as he slumped down and pressed his palm to his forehead. The exhaustion from the night before crept up on him once again, mentally jabbing at the Marine as he tried to contain his temper.

"No, forget it. I remember." Ace shot Luffy a shocked look. He didn't know how they got there, but he certainly didn't think Luffy would, either. Rolling his eyes at the inquisitive adult, the Marine decided to explain it to his narcoleptic adversary. "Your stupid ass decided to attempt a suicide jump," he jabbed, trying not to take his usual angered tone with the man he hadn't seen in days. Each time he shot at the man he felt guilty and he hated it. What was wrong with him, sympathizing with a pirate?

"What?"

"You had a fit…I guess."

"Then…" His voice faded as he comprehended the teen's words, trying desperately not to get his hopes up. It was hard, though, hearing something so positively suggestive coming from the mouth of the boy who declared his hate of Ace openly. "…You saved me?"

"I didn't want to!" he shot, unable to repress his irritation. He folded his arms and lowered his brow – more of a pout than a bout of anger – which Ace found to resemble, only slightly, his kid brother. He couldn't let that idea stick, though. "It was instinct. People fall overboard on my ship and it's my responsibility to keep them alive."

"Oh? So you're at least nice to your crewmates, eh?" Ace teased, slowly coming out of his slump as he watched the smaller boy fume.

"The hell's that supposed to mean? Of course I'm nice to them! They're _my _men!" he shouted, pout growing in irritation. He didn't notice that he was still placed comfortably next to Fire Fist. Too distracted by the man in question.

"You're always so crude."

"You're always an ass."

"And _you_, a _Marine_?" He scoffed at the thought. "I don't even _want _to know how that happened."

"What's that supposed to mean, Fire Fist?" Ace was let down a bit when he wasn't referred to by his name, but he accepted it. This was their least heated argument yet and he wasn't about to ruin it.

"It's just wrong," he said blatantly, searching the boy's figure and scowling at the white uniform he proudly wore. It was disgusting. "Taking orders doesn't suit you."

"Why?" For a second, Luffy's pout vanished and was replaced with genuine curiosity. Apparently he liked what he heard, pressing Ace for further explanation.

"Because," he started, memories of their childhood dancing in his mind, "it's too constricting." At those words, Luffy's eyes widened. He recalled that familiar, repetitive dream of his. He traced the words unnoticeably with his lips. Ace noticed the boy freeze and couldn't help but wonder about it.

_"We'll live freely, without regrets!"_

* * *

**A/N: I did it! HA! Take that, elementary school teachers who said I would never amount to anything! I'm overreacting, I know. Forgive me. I don't know, I'm starting to feel the story form and I feel like I've accomplished something. Just to make it clear, this story is going to go on for quite a while. It's not going to be one of those short little stories where the person with amnesia starts warming up to the person they forgot and live happily ever after. Oh no. Just to show you a look into the new Luffy, I decided to write about how he missed his ship and the other Marines. Though you guys may hate Luffy acting like a jerk and being a Marine, that's who he is. As far as he's concerned, the dreams are just dreams and he is a proud Marine, protector of the people (or, more to his liking, the guy who gets to beat up strong criminals he doesn't like). I'm sure you've guessed but the way Luffy acted when he first woke up is significant :D**

**Also, updates may be halted while I try to rest my hand. It was tired from nine hours of art classes and I was stupid enough to write this because I was inspired so now my tendons are inflamed. Hopefully it's not too bad and goes away soon so I can work on Skip! ...I've been avoiding that story like the plague XD No inspiration right now. And yeah, not going to write a whole chapter using just my left hand. Sorry.**

**Now, again to my lovelies~ My wonderful, amazing lovelies~**

**elixluna: What can I say? I like to troll people :P Oh trust me, the angst in the first 3 chapters is NOTHING compared to what happens at the plot's climax XD But it won't all be angst. See, there was a tiny sliver of fluff in here too :D**

**bakahime123: Hope the update was to your liking! Trust me, that will not be the last time Ace cries throughout the story. There are some pretty rough patches up ahead.**

**Sealing Mistress: This is a brotherly fic :) Though sometimes they may get close (like when they fell asleep) their relationship is strictly as siblings. However, I'm working on something that I'm not going to upload until I have a lot of chapters done (well two things, not uploading yet because I don't want to risk not being able to update often) and it'll be a pairing fic. Or they. Whichever ideas I don't get instantly bored with XD As for the other review...everyone keeps mentioning liking Skip in their reviews of my other two stories :'( While I feel pride in it being so popular (especially since it has the least out) I can't help but be jealous over it XD**

**Son Goshen: I'm sorry! ...Again. Seems I've been doing that a lot lately...hopefully the slight fluff in this chapter mended it? D: And really, Luffy isn't that bad of a guy, I swear! You'll see in future updates. They have a...complicated situation. Kinda makes him irritated.**

**bbhelen3162: Lol it seems many of the readers are sadists XD I got a lot mroe reviews in the last chapter than I did for the others. Sorry for slow-ish updates. Life is rough with school.**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Awe, well I guess that means I got the response I wanted XD But Skip has reached a meh part D: The interesting parts don't pick up until later and I don't wanna write boring chapters...Garp's reaction will be explained...later XD CP9 huh? Well, I'll tell you now that he went through A LOT of shit to get to where he is in the story. That's what messed with his personality so much too, and I guarantee when his past is revealed all of the people who said they don't like him in the reviews are going to feel guilty XD Better huh? ...Define better *nervous fidgeting***

**Hotaru Jaegerjaques: Here's an update! I'm trying to slowly, VERY slowly, show Luffy's feelings towards the situation.**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Really? You're so kind! ;_; Glad you like it and hope you enjoyed the update!**

**New reader: Thank you! Enjoy the update :D**

**sammycircle: Thank you so much! Yeah, it's sad but Luffy being very un-Luffy like is important to the story. Bear with it!**

**angelrider13: Muahaha I like to keep my readers guessing XD Trust me though, this is not going to be resolved for a VERY long time. As for Ace...you'll notice his curiosity in the next chapter, but he's hesitent and that'll be explained too.**

**tenngens: I'm glad you finally reviewed then :D I update quickly based on how many reviews I get XD I write a lot because when I get into something (such as writing One Piece fanfics) I obsess over it for a good half a year :P Hope you liked this new chapter!**

**XxSaorixX: Yes he will. Also, as mentioned in this chapter, he doesn't really see dreams/memories that have lucrative information, so he refuses to make a connection. As for if that will change, you'll have to wait and find out :P No more spoilers! I've given away too much already...**

**namelessreader: You're so nice! ;_; Thank you so much!**

**AkaNeko-san: Lol you hate Luffy now? XD I guarantee when it gets to the little arc about Luffy's past you're going to feel guilty :P It's like A Pirate's Resolve bad. Bonus chapter bad. Besides, they're enemies! And Luffy doesn't remember him. He's bound to hate them, it's his job to hate pirates, especially Whitebeard's crew XD And I don't care if you guys hate this Luffy to be honest :P His actions and personality are the most important aspect of the entire story so they're going to stay the same unless I need a change is needed for the plot to advance ;) You ASSUME Skip is going to end with Ace and Thatch being alive. If I don't change my mind about the story then you're going to end up happier with the ending in canon. It is the worst thing I will write (at least out of these stories) and won't be in the least bit satisfying :P I planned it out before I started writing it so I don't think I'm going to change it. Also, the Ace from Skip is too...bleh.**

** .Yaoi-Sama: Lol I take it the chapter made you sad? XD**

**sakura240: Thank you! Here's an update!**

**Terrie1234: Lol you'll have to wait for the secret like everyone else ;) I've basically planned out the entire plots for all 3 of my fanfics. Other than minor details, everything is settled :D Thanks for the compliments! And yes, there will be some pineapple name-calling at some point in the story XD There will be some humor despite the serious plot.**

**Lily Noir: Thank you! You're honestly like the first person who said they like Marine Luffy XD Then again, he's not trying to be likable. You're also one of the few who thought that his personality change made sense, so yay! Thanks again, so happy you like it! Hope the update was satisfying!**

**Darkspider: You'll have to wait to find out if Luffy remembers Shanks :P Hope you enjoy!**

**MeikoKuran999: Lol I had just uploaded the day you posted your review XD I have school and other matters to attend to so I can't always work on it. Sorry :/ Hope you can be patient with me and wait as I update. Typing up these chapters takes hours.**

**SioQu: Lol hope this chapter holds you over until I can work on it again XD**

**Pandombie: Awe you're so sweet XD You're welcome! I always try to reply to reviews, they're really important to me! As a warning, your heart will probably continue to break throughout the story. Be prepared!**

**Guest: I can only work so fast! D:**

**Akemichan07: Thank you so much! Luffy is actually a lot more similar to his old self then most of my readers seem to realize XD Good job catching that part from the first chapter! I think people dismissed it, but I basically was showing what he was normally like. I mean, he's not going to be friendly to his enemy . Actually Marco and Thatch are going to end up much more important than they appear. This plot is going to take a turn I don't think most people are expecting. And yeah, Ace is just Ace XD I mean, he doesn't need to change. His personality fits into like every story I've thought of so far. Except the secret one. About translating: I have no problem with you doing it, but you MUST give me credit and link back to my version of the story. I don't want my work to be lost, you know? And if you do decide to do it, send me the link to it :) If you can do those things then by all means translate it.**

**(70 reviews guys! Only 20-something behind Skip! So exciting XD I'm all giddy and want to start on the next chapter right away but I'll go take a nap and rest my hand instead.)**

**Bye, loves!**


	6. Bittersweet Memories

**Time for more shameless self-advertising! :D I've started my first AceLu romance fic called The Divide so please check it out if you're interested! It has a slow start and isn't going to be overly romantic, but I've had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you have fun reading it XD Chapter 1 is out now and I'm finished chapter 2, which I'll post once (if) it reaches 15 reviews (we're at 13 now). I've actually got the first 5 chapters done and I'm going to post it based on how much feedback I get or if I'm not able to work on anything else. Sabo's in it :D Anything with Sabo is awesome, just saying.**

**Ahem.**

**Disclaimer: Luffy's regained his memories and says that I really am the owner of One Piece! See! *silence* Yeah, ok, flat out lie.**

* * *

"So he does that often?" Luffy asked, stuffing his face with the meal they brought him. Thatch and Marco had joined him in his quarters for both breakfast and lunch. Ace told them about the encounter from the previous night and the commanders were eager to snoop around and find out anything they could about it. After all, if the tiny Marine was being less hateful towards his brother something must have changed, right? But they wouldn't press him for answers. For such a small boy he had quite the temper and they didn't want to risk undoing any progress made.

"Mainly when he's stressed, yoi," Marco stated, taking a sip of his soup from his seat on the floor. There was only one chair in the room and Thatch claimed it immediately upon entering.

Luffy mauled the information in his head, scrutinizing Fire Fist's actions from the night before. Apparently the sleepwalking was a result of his narcolepsy. In addition to his regular fits, there were other problems that his conditioned caused, such as sleepwalking and night terrors. He didn't ask about the terrors, though he was curious. What a fascinating man.

He snapped out of that frame of thought, cursing himself for ever thinking something like that about a _pirate_. Despite his self-loathing, he was starting to get accustomed to staying with them. It pained him to admit it, but they weren't so bad. He found himself treating them like he would his comrades at Marine HQ or Marineford, which he'd grown up at. Still, he had to remember that they were pirates – the scum of the sea – and that his stay on the Moby Dick would be over shortly.

A pain stung his chest. The old man was coming. How long had he been there? He knew that if the hero of the Marines was going to show up the crew of the Moby Dick would not escape unscathed and, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he'd grown rather fond of some of them. It was complete blasphemy for a Marine to think that, he knew, but it's not like he could help himself. They weren't like the pirates he'd fought in the past. Something was…different.

He was brought back to reality by a sharp clicking sound. The three of them, lunches almost fully devoured, turned to see the door open. Ace stepped through a bit nervously and immediately the two commanders sprung to their feet and headed out of the room, giving their friend a reassuring pat on the shoulder and leaving the brothers alone in their awkwardness. They were nosy – well, Thatch was, Marco just went along for the amusement – but they knew when to bow out and give the siblings some space. At least they thought they did, but both were silently wishing for them to return to break the heavy atmosphere.

The two hadn't spoken since their waking at dawn and, quite frankly, had no idea how to act around each other after that. Ace wanted to question the younger about his strange behaviour while half asleep, but didn't know if he would irritate the boy. Luffy was feeling guiltier as each day passed for the way he treated the man but was also fighting internally with the duties and mindset of the Marines that he held for so long. He had questions to ask his brother but his pride wouldn't allow him. Both were curious, neither knowing how to begin.

Ace sat in the chair across the room, knowing full-well that Marine Luffy was uncomfortable when pirates were in near proximity to him. He watched as Luffy nervously ate his food, retaining the disturbingly good table manners from before. Seeing him act so neat and careful was just…wrong. Luffy was a pig. He gorged himself over every scrap of meat in the vicinity and when he ate his portion he would resort to stealing off of other people's plates to fill his insatiable appetite. The two of them broke out in full-on fights during most meals as children. Both were gluttons. Then Sabo would break them up and they would eat their even shares with scowls on their faces. But that Luffy was gone.

When he saw that Luffy was staring at him questioningly he decided to _attempt_ to strike a conversation with a boy. However, the Marine beat him to it.

"Why are you here?"

"It's nice to see you, too," Ace replied dryly, trying to remember to keep his temper in check. He was getting use to the new Luffy, even if he didn't show it. After what happened the previous night he was even tempted into liking the brat with the short fuse. Sure he missed his little brother above all else – he always would – but this kid wasn't as bad as he first thought. He treated them like lower beings but it was a part of his profession to do so. If Garp had anything to do with his training over the last three years then he probably beat that mentality into him, seeing as the boy had amnesia which gave the old Vice Admiral a blank slate to mould. He'd have to beat the old man next he saw him for whatever he did to his baby brother after he left.

"No, sorry," Luffy started, dropping his head into his palm as he tried to control his unnecessary irritation. Ace was struck dumb by that. Marine Luffy,_ apologising_? He had to be dreaming. "I just…I don't know…"

It wasn't hard for him to notice how confused his brother was becoming. He was trying to be nice, to not snap as he so often did, and so Ace would have to take the conversation into his own hands. Maybe, if he caught his interest with something, the boy would be able to relax and take his thoughts elsewhere. Then he spotted the bundle of straw atop his matted hair; it was the perfect topic. "Say, Luffy, do you know where you got that?" He pointed his index finger at the hat, receiving a curious, wide-eye look that so much resembled the boy from his memories.

"I know that it's important, but…" He pulled it over his eyes to shadow the shocked look on his face. Its origin never occurred to him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how empty his memories were on the subject. It made him think closely about Fire Fist's claims, wondering just how much he didn't know about himself. Before his arrival on that ship he didn't notice the blank spaces in his memories at all, yet the more time he spent there the more he questioned if the pirate was telling the truth. Were they _really_ brothers?

"A pirate gave it to you. He saved your life and handed over that hat. You were supposed to return it when you became a great pirate."

"Me? A _pirate_?" He scoffed at the idea, noting how ironic it was that he was now in the white garb of a pirate's worst enemy. He heard a bit of a chuckle leave the older man's mouth and looked up to see a small smile on Ace's face.

"Yeah. Looking at you now it's hard to believe. You used to say that you were going to be Pirate King." Though his smile was still there, Ace was replaying memories in his head with a pain he'd become all too familiar with over the course of that week. That clumsy, bumbling rubber boy was replaced with a temperamental, stern teen who had forgotten even the most precious of his dreams.

"Pirate King? Like Gold Roger?" Luffy asked, watching his older sibling with big eyes. That was not the reaction Ace expected. He figured the younger boy would get upset or angry or accuse him of lying, but the expression he gave was one of interest.

"Yeah…" He tried not to grit his teeth at the mention of his father's name, to no avail. He didn't want to bring up that man, whom he hated so much, but Luffy was showing some interest so he would grin and bear it. Maybe he could get the kid to quit being a Marine. Nah, too stubborn.

"My loyalties lie with the Marines," Luffy stated, voice oddly calm despite the topic. Ace knew that already. He didn't need a constant reminder that his brother turned against him – it was enough hearing it the first time. "But I could probably do it…if I wanted to." That Fire Fist did not expect. His eyes shot up to meet the contemplative face of the tiny Marine. Was he actually _considering _it?

"Heh, a runt like you? Not a chance."

"The hell's that supposed to mean, asshole?"

"You couldn't even make Marco break a sweat! No way you'd become Pirate King."

"Why you…" Luffy composed himself before his explosive anger got the best of him. He contorted his face into a pout rather than a scowl and watched the pirate with narrow eyes. It wasn't like he could retort by saying that he could take on Phoenix because their last battle clearly showed otherwise and he knew that a fight with Fire Fist would likely give the same result, much as he hated to admit it. So he contented to sulk. "Not like I want to, anyways."

"…I know."

* * *

Ace pulled a chair up near to the bed and watched his brother sleep. He'd done the very same thing once before, resulting in that attempted assassination, and was hesitant to try it again. He couldn't help himself. The way Luffy acted on deck while half asleep was still bothering him. It gnawed at his thoughts constantly throughout the day and yet he was unable to ask the boy about it. He realized that Luffy was likely unaware of his behaviour himself. So he found himself in his brother's room once more, much more cautious than his last visit, watching the boy sleep. Even he thought his actions were creepy.

Luffy stirred, grumbling something under his breath as he shifted into a more comfortable position. It nearly made Ace's heart leap from his chest. He really, _really_ didn't want to be caught doing something so…abnormal. But, as if sensing his anxiety, the boy's eyes opened. Just a little.

"Ace?"

When he heard Luffy's voice he just about jumped out of his chair. It took him a minute to compose himself. Then he watched the half-asleep boy and realized he'd used that same, innocent tone from before. And he said his name, just like when they were kids. He sat back down and leaned in to get a better look at his brother. Through the darkness he could see that Luffy's eyes were glazed, like he was still asleep. It resembled the look his face held when he would sleepwalk and he resigned himself to think that Luffy wasn't actually consciously aware of himself.

"What is it, Lu?" Ace asked in a silky, smooth tone. He'd used that gentle way of speaking all of the time when they were little, to calm his brother down. The boy looked worried – unnerved.

"I'm scared," he stated, voice childish and shaky. The older of the two froze and his eyes widened. Memories of his small, younger sibling saying just that filled his head. This wasn't Marine Luffy.

"Do you want a light?" He looked around to locate the lamp he brought with him. When he spotted it on the ground he went to get up but was halted by a warm grasp around his wrist. Looking back at the form in the bed, he saw Luffy shaking his head, eyes glossy with tears that he refused to let fall. Ace sat back down. Waited.

"I…I don't want to be alone," he stuttered, sniffling as the tears fell across his skin. "Sabo…Sabo's gone."

Ace's blood ran cold. His circulation froze over like ice and he could feel his body numb as he watched the pained expression on Luffy's face. He wasn't seeing the teenager, though. He was seeing that tiny, frail figure from his past – the one that huddled up next to him every night after their brother was killed, sobbing into his shirt until he fell asleep. His shock only grew once he fully grasped the situation. Luffy remembered something. He remembered Sabo and that Sabo was dead. Why was _that _the first thing he recalled?

"Ace…" He focused on the Luffy before him, looking much weaker and younger than he really was. Noticing that his wrist was still clasped tightly by his brother, he placed a reassuring hand on top of the smaller one's. "…I don't want to lose you, too."

"Idiot, don't go killing me off so easily. I told you before: I'm not gonna die."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise. Now go back to sleep."

Luffy's tears ceased and he closed his eyes, moving in closer to his older brother's warmth. Ace watched this and lifted one of his hands. He started running his fingers through the boy's dark strands, mimicking an action he did so often when Sabo first died. It calmed him.

"…Thanks," the younger murmured lightly before his breath fell even and shallow, giving way to sleep. He pushed stray black strands from Luffy's eyes, giving him one last look and mauling over when just happened inside his head. He remembered having that conversation before. In fact, he'd repeated those words many times when the boy was little. It was so nostalgic, hearing him say those things. Acting that way. Like a child.

He slowly moved his hands away from Luffy, being careful not to disturb his sleep once more. As he stepped lightly towards the door he didn't look back. He was starting to understand what was going on and that Luffy, the one from his childhood, had once more been replaced by the Marine.

He refused to set eyes on him again. Because, come morning, he wouldn't remember.

* * *

Frantic shouts and rushed steps woke the sleeping stragglers and alerted them to attention. Both Ace and Luffy instinctively rushed out of their respective rooms and to the ship's surface. They gawked, dumbstruck, as they stared out at the sea in front of them. A Marine fleet with well over fifty large ships. The fleet was headed to engage the Moby Dick in combat. Luffy didn't care about the ships themselves, though. He was more focused on what was on the ships than anything.

His Adam's apple moved in his throat as he swallowed heavily. He took a few unconscious steps forward, causing some of the commanders, as well as his brother, to look at him with confusion.

"Gramps…"

* * *

**A/N: So yeah. Here's the next chapter. Not really sure what to say, for once. Should I self-advertise again? Hmmm...nah, I don't need you guys yelling at me to stop mentioning my new stories XD**

**To my lovelies~**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Lol well you're going to have to wait XD A long, LONG time. Teehee I'm such a troll.**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Hehehe, perceptive you are ;) Finding out Luffy's past is going to be a long, drawn out, arduous process. You'll see bits and pieces soon but eventually I'll have a chapter or two deticated to it. But that's much later. Like...towards the end later. Because I'm a troll. My tendons are improving :D Though typing out chapters still gives me some pain, so I have to take a lot of breaks in-between.**

**namelessreader: I'm glad you like it so much ;_; Hopefully this update is up to par.**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Lol I'm glad you liked it so much XD That was my favourite scene to write. I like fluff . Yes, Marco is awesome and he always will be. I just noticed that he's in ALL of my stories, even the new one I just posted! (well, starting in chapter 2). Or actually, he's not officially in Resolve yet...but he will be. Soon. Luffy is just remembering the words at the end. It's a sign he's making connections :P That's why it's in italics. Can't skip the uninteresting chapters in Skip :/ They're boring but they're important to the plot and I'm not willing to sift them out to make every chapter dramatic and action-packed. Garp, as you now know, will be showing up next chapter. **

**bakahime123: Thank you!**

**YingYang21: Glad you liked it! Hope you liked this chapter as well!**

**MeikoKuran999: Lol it's improving but I keep having to take breaks so it slows down my writing...a lot. Yeah, Luffy's confusion makes him so angsty XD Glad you loved it, hope you loved this chapter as well! :D**

**elixluna: There will be more fluffy moments :3 But not for a long, long while. Yeah...the angst is going to return and the plot of the story is acutally going to start from here on out. It's not just about Luffy's memory loss like a lot of you guys think ;)**

**angelrider13: I love your reactions XD Thank you, I'm glad you like their interaction. It can be hard to write sometimes... =_=; Hope you liked the update!**

**Son Goshen: Yeah...don't count on Luffy's memories returning for a long, long time...especially after what happens in the next chapter...ugh it's going to be so hard to write. You guys are in for a long ride :P**

**Hotaru JaegerJaquez: Well I'm sure this chapter answered your question already but Sabo is, in fact, dead. The plot divergence didn't happen until Ace set sail so everything from before then is unchanged. Sabo's in my newest story The Divide but sadly he isn't in any of the other ones. He's mentioned in each of my other stories, but that's about it :/ And Garp is coming XD And you guys will get so mad at him! Oh well.**

**Sealing Mistress: Well he doesn't really have coherent memories. They're just flashes of the past that he tries to remember...for now. He subconsciously remembers him, though, like in this chapter. He subconsciously remembers everything. Shouldn't have said that...**

**samettikettu: Haha! You've fallen prey to my fanfiction! Lol glad you like it ;) Hope you enjoyed the update.**

**bbhelen3162: Thank you, enjoy!**

**99 luffy: Your words are too kind ;_; Thank you so much and I'm glad you like it!**

**XxSaorixX: Come on, you know it's fun to read about Luffy being a jerk *nudge nudge* Lots of people liked that scene . Sadly the story is not as straightforward as it seems.**

**AkaNeko-san: I'm sorry, but you're going to hate me for what I did to your poor Luffy ^^; What, you didn't expect him to lose his memories from a bump on the head, did you? No, no, no, no, nothing so simple. Honestly, you don't wanna know what happened to him. Or what will happen in Skip :P But you'll be subjected to it if you continue reading muahaha. Hope you liked the update!**

**Cyborgnetics: Who says he isn't? Ace is pissed at Garp, of course, he just hasn't had a chance to express it yet.**

**Kiyoumi: The parallel worlds one would have been complicated but a lot more fun than this one. While this has angst, the other one would have had fluff and adventure. But people prefered angst :D At least someone likes Luffy as a Marine XD Most people do not. As for the crew, you'll have to wait and find out :P Hope you like the update!**

**(Guys! Guys! Lovlies! We're almost at 100 reviews :D Isn't that awesome? Though it's still really far behind the others...Resolve is 168 which is amazing. Then Skip is at 124 which is also very good. And this story has 93 :D So close! I can't believe how much support I've gotten on all of my stories ;_; You lovelies are amazing, seriously. Reviews are the reason I keep updating. I love hearing from you guys so much and honestly I probably would have dropped all of the stories if it wasn't for you. Seriously. And now we have another story to foster! XD The Divide is like the baby of the stories, probably the most unique as well since its fully AU. Got 13 for that one! Going to put up chapter 2 once we reach 15 :D But that's beside the point. I promise I will never drop any of these stories unless something very serious happens like my arthritus getting worse or death or something traumatic...but so long as those can be avoided I will continue to write! So thank you so much T^T)**


	7. Garp Comes to Visit

**Disclaimer: It feels so nice to update a story that isn't ****_Divide_**** or ****_Resolve_****~ (Though I have the next chapters for them done as well...not uploading yet :P) Oh yeah and ownership blah blah Oda and stuff.**

* * *

"Extravagant as ever," the Marine mumbled, eyeing the barrage of Marine vessels before them. He knew it was just for show – Headquarters was short-staffed and didn't have the manpower to deal out such a large fleet, especially for a simple rescue mission. Realistically speaking, Luffy wasn't worth the lives of everyone on board those ships. He was just one person, after all. It didn't take him long to deduce his grandfather's bluff; there were likely very few people to each ship, the minimum required to keep it moving and operate the cannons. The old Vice Admiral didn't plan on an all-out war like it appeared; he just wanted to scare the pirates into handing over the Marine, nothing more. At least that's what he hoped.

Before the Whitebeard pirates had the time to react, each of the over fifty ships aimed their cannons at the enemy. Luffy rolled his eyes. Did they even have sufficient ammo? It wasn't long before he got his answer when the majority of the ships began to fire. The Marine simply stood and watched as the fourteen commanders took their positions, slashing or smashing the cannons as they neared. Ace jumped into the air and set ten of them ablaze, prematurely setting them off. Shrapnel fell from the explosions into the water between the two ships as Fire Fist landed neatly on the figurehead. Luffy was impressed but that was quickly replaced with curiosity once he spotted the man's expression.

"What are you doing, old man?" Ace asked, anger wriggling up through his esophagus as his voice carried across the sea. Their grandfather's ship was closest to them and he was able to hear despite the distance. Just barely.

"I'm rescuing my grandson, brat!" the Vice Admiral shouted back, faltering a little. He hadn't wanted a confrontation with Ace, especially not on the battlefield. Truly he was ashamed of himself, likely knowing every question the boy wanted to ask. His eldest grandson was hurt. No doubt he'd noticed Luffy's changes – they were obvious to even the slowest of wits – but there was nothing the old Marine could do. He couldn't apologise nor explain the situation to the pirate and so he would just attack in the hope of getting out of there with as few casualties as he could manage. The Marines needed that boy back, just as the boy needed them.

"The hell you are! I want answers!" Luffy's eyes widened. Fire Fist and Gramps knew each other. Maybe there was more to the pirate's claims than he thought. After all, why would the hero of the Marines know Whitebeard's second division commander? "What did you do to my little brother?" Ace asked rather threateningly. He screamed across the sea, shoulders and arms set ablaze in his rage.

Luffy was surprised, noting that the man was most likely asking about him, and knew that he had to act soon. Both sides were exchanging cannon fire and it wouldn't be long before one side would sustain a life-threatening hit. Already seven of the Marine ships were sunk and their few occupants escaped onto lifeboats, heading towards the battleships still intact. The pirates hadn't received even one blow and he knew that, despite the number of ships, the Marines were at a serious disadvantage. They were likely very low-ranking, inexperienced newbies who agreed to go along with his grandfather's whim because of his status. They weren't capable enough to take on pirates of their caliber and the last thing Luffy wanted was for them to die just to save his sorry ass. He'd have to scold the old man later for being reckless with the lives of his men.

Ace was about to leap onto his striker when he heard a commotion coming from his comrades on deck. Curious, he turned around and scanned the area. It wasn't long before he located his little brother, stretching his arm across the sea. His eyes widened and his sprinted towards the younger, latching onto his wrist as the rubber boy's other arm continued to reach for the enemy's mast. Luffy turned to him with a glare. "Don't!" He commanded, his brow furrowed in concern. Whatever the Marines had put him through, he didn't have to go back to it. He could stay there with them. Regain his memories.

"I have to," Luffy declared as his hand grasped the wood of the other ship. Ace's eyes widened as he scanned his brother's expression. He didn't want to lose him again.

"You can't!" he shouted, anxiety evident in his tone. "Luffy, you can stay. You don't have to go back there."

"I do."

"Why?" Ace question desperately, voice uneven and worried.

"They're waiting for me."

Ace paused, eyes widening as his grip on his brother's wrist loosened. It hadn't crossed his mind until then that Luffy had built a life with the Marines. He lived with them for three years – trained with them. It wasn't surprising that he would want to go back to that place. He may have known his brother for ten years, but Luffy had only known him for a week. He didn't remember any more. If he did, what would he choose? Would he become a pirate like Ace thought or would he stay where he was? What made Luffy happy?

"I see…" Ace's arm fell to his side and he stared blankly across the sea, ignoring the chaotic explosions and enemy fire. He watched his grandfather, the one who wanted the two of them to grow up to be strong Marines. He didn't know what happened after he left but knew that, whatever it was, Garp got his wish. At least part of it.

"I think…" Luffy's voice faded as he fumbled with his thoughts, searching for the right words. He had one thing to say to Fire Fist and this was his last chance to voice it. He tested his grip on the mast, assuring he wouldn't catapult too far. "We'll meet again. I want to fight you when we do."

Without giving his brother a chance to respond he flung himself onto his grandfather's ship. He didn't look back to see the pirates and marched right up to Garp, eyes sharp and accusing. He noticed some of the men unloading explosives – apparently his first assumption about bluffing was incorrect. For whatever reason, the geezer didn't want to leave without a fight.

"Oi, I'm here!" he shouted, grabbing a firm hold on his grandfather's shoulder. The man's eyes turned to the boy but he quickly returned to preparing the bomb in his hand. "Stop! Are you_ trying _to get all of your men killed?" If one thing pissed Luffy off, it was unnecessary sacrifice. It was best to retreat to fight another day than to die and never have the chance to try again.

"I'm not going to let them go," Garp declared, fiddling with a match.

"So you're going to let them die? Some 'hero' you are! You _know_ we can't fight them with these rookies!" When he noticed his grandfather wasn't listening he growled low in his breath, wanting nothing more than to slap his superior upside his head. He'd have to use a different approach to stop this stupid fight. "You have a lot of explaining to do, old man." He saw Garp flinch at this. "You're going to retreat and tell me everything or I'll go back and see what Fire Fist has to say."

The man froze, then visibly sighed and signed for his men to back away. Ever since the boy lost his memories he'd become a manipulative brat, that's for sure. He even convinced him to take him to Marine HQ not long after the incident. Whatever made him that way was beyond him, but he knew he would have to listen to the kid just this once, if only to avoid him becoming a pirate. Luffy always went through with his threats.

Ace and the other commanders watched with confusion as the Marines drew back. It appeared that all they wanted was Luffy. He felt a pat on the back and turned to see Marco whose face held concern.

"If you want, I can go after them," he offered, hoping to ease the fire user's anxiety. Ace smiled sadly and shook his head. He didn't want his family to be put in any more danger for the time being. Luffy made his choice. He had to learn to accept that. Memories or no, it was his brother's choice as to what he wanted to do with his life and Fire Fist had no room to interfere. "You sure?"

"Yeah." He paused and watched the retreating ships, knowing that Luffy was disappearing with them. "We'll meet again."

* * *

Luffy was tapping his foot impatiently, giving his elder a sharp glower. Normally he got along well with the old man but right now all he wanted were answers and he wasn't going to let him avoid the subject any longer than he already had. The sun was setting, meaning he'd been avoiding him for half a day. Finally he managed to trap him in his office. He wasn't going to let him get away.

"So?" he urged, the tapping continuing in a steady rhythm. The old man sighed, slouching back in his chair. His only choice was to reply, lest he be hated by his cute grandchild.

"What do you want to know?"

"Who is Portgas D. Ace?"

His grey eyebrow twitched. He was taken aback by the bluntness of his question, as well as the subject; you would think he'd be questioning his past above all else. Well, after most likely being told about their relationship it was probably the first thing on his mind, so he couldn't blame him. "He's my grandson."

Luffy's eyes narrowed. He wasn't expecting to get a straight answer out of him, let alone what that answer entailed. Grandson, huh? So…

"Is he my brother?" The heart in his chest sped up as he awaited a reply. Ultimately this was what he wanted to know most of all. Was Fire Fist telling him the truth that whole time? How much of it was right? What should he believe?

"Yes." Luffy's breath caught in his throat. "Not by blood, though."

Mind racing, he threw his straw hat onto the table before them. Garp's eyes moved from the boy to the item and back again. He knew what he was going to ask next.

"Where did I get this?" he asked, rather desperate in tone. "A pirate gave it to me, right? Who was it?"

This was something the Vice Admiral really didn't want to answer. How would his little grandson react to that knowledge? He didn't want him to know about that promise made with Red Hair. He didn't want him to get any strange ideas, like abandoning the Marines in favour of pirating. Still, he couldn't keep that from the boy – the pleading look in his eyes was too much. He always knew that the day would come when he would have to explain it all to him, but he didn't want it to happen so soon. Regardless of what he wanted, it was happening now. He couldn't deny it any longer.

"Akagami Shanks," he stated hesitantly.

"…The Yonko?" Garp nodded slowly. Luffy collapsed in his chair, trying to take it all in. His most prized possession was given to him by one of the most powerful pirates in the New World. His brother was one of the commanders on Whitebeard's ship. Yet, despite all of this, he couldn't recall. "…Why don't I remember anything?" he asked in an uncharacteristically quiet tone. His eyes were still wide with shock and confusion.

"I can't say."

"Why not?" he asked in more of a scream than anything. His shrill cry called his crewmates to the door, though they couldn't hear much of the conversation from the other side.

"I'm sorry, Luffy."

* * *

_Garp watched as his grandson tried to steady himself, hopeful that he wouldn't make any drastic movements in his sobs. He hovered over his small frame, stroking his back in an effort to calm the boy. His associate stood with a needle, waiting for the Vice Admiral's signal. He looked to the man and then back at his grandson, wrapping him in a secure embrace. This was the last time for them. Even now his stomach was doing backflips, wishing that all of this was just a dream. He didn't want to lose the boy._

_"You're sure about this?" he asked quietly, rubbing the boy's arm in their embrace. He felt Luffy tense and relax, sobs vanishing along with his trembling. He hoped the boy would say 'no'._

_"Yeah."_

_"You won't regret it?"_

_"I won't."_

_He gave the boy one final squeeze as though he was going to disappear forever. In essence, maybe he was. As his grip loosened his associate gently pushed the needle into Luffy's arm. The liquid poured into his bloodstream. As it took effect, the boy's weight fell into his grandfather's arms. His eyes began to shut._

_"Thanks, Gramps. Sorry."_

_"Just go to sleep, brat."_

_Luffy gave the man one last tug before he did just that._

* * *

**A/N: And I killed the suspense! :D This chapter's poorly written but...deal with it. I'm too lazy to rewrite it and besides, it's satisfactory, right? So not much happens in the next chapter. It's basically Ace and Luffy reflection on what's happened. I know, I know, it sounds boring, but I needed to put it in there to help explain how both feel about different things so please bear with it. Well, for once I don't have much to say...oh, right! I've decided on the ending of this story and you're all going to hate me for it! That is all.**

**Oh! So how many of you still hate Marine Luffy? *glares***

**To my lovelies~**

**Guest: Here's an update! Well it's touched upon at the end of this chapter but you around going to find out the whole of what happened to him until close to the end of the fic. You'll get snipits throughout so you should figure it out beforehand, though. I mean you probably already know a bit of it. I'm glad you checked out my new story! Thank you so much~**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Nope :P You should all know by now that I don't give away information very quickly. Awe really? I didn't think it was that sad, to be honest XD**

**MeikoKuran999: I think Marine Luffy would be insulted if he heard you call him a fake :P Heck, Ace might too (after the next chapter). Thanks, glad you like!**

**Sealing Mistress: Thank you ^^ It was hard to write out =_=; This chapter was harder, though.**

**amba gurl: Thanks, here's an update.**

**YingYang21: Because I'm a troll :P**

**Lunacii: Don't die! I need you'r opinion on this chapter! D: Thanks though XD**

**SioQu: Now you know that yes, Garp is behind it, but probably not in the way you guys were thinking :P Theories are good! I like theories! I like hearing what you guys think is going to happen ^^**

**bbhelen3162: Lol selfish much? Just kidding XD There are pleanty of other AceLu authors on this site so even if I die your addiction will be fed :P I wouldn't update it if I just got spam and not actual reviews. Though even now most of the reviews are spam as is... It seems this story and ****_Resolve_**** are the only ones that get reviews with substance to them. Do you still hate Garp after the flashback? And don't worry, I got food now so my health is going well!**

**Kiyoumi: Lol yes, I didn't mean for him to be tsundere, it just sort of...happened XD Glad you enjoyed and I hope you feel the same with this chapter!**

**Son Goshen: Was it that bad? XD Mmmm...not so much the fake memories. Some aweful crap did happen, that is true =_=; I'm sure you could have guessed that from the flashback at the end. Amnesia can alter personality if they don't get their memories back and new memories replace the old ones. Plus there's a few differences in the amesia Luffy has that gives it different effects. But that's for a later time. Well now you know that the 50 ships were a bit of a bluff, as Luffy deduced XD You'll notice as time goes by that Garp is really protective of Luffy now because of what happened in the past. What do you think of Garp now? :3 And long reviews are nice! I like long reviews XD**

**samettikettu: Your demands are denied. Not going to flat out tell you guys until the end :P And in the next chapter you'll learn that Ace has never lost his brother =_=; And yeah, Garp ain't explaining anything XD**

**sakura240: Well that's explained in the end. Or at least partially explained. Don't worry, I go into detail later. Shanks WILL hear that ;) Here's an update!**

**Cyborgnetics: Glad you like!**

**CathyX1: Well in the next chapter you'll find out he's not as different as he appears. Here's an update.**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Of course he was going to appear soon! I kept hinting at it throughout :P Here's an update!**

**99 luffy: It wasn't much of a fight ahahaha... ^-^; I just needed it in to get Luffy off of the Moby Dick.**

**angelrider13: Nope :P He DID yell at him though. Yep, he goes back with the Marines. I was planning for that from the beginning. He was on the Moby Dick just to realize the gaps in his memories, really. Oh, and for Ace to find out, of course. Well there was a confrontation but not much between Ace and Garp XD Luffy had to put his foot down. **

**XxSaorixX: That's too bad because I am a giant troll and cliffies abound in my stories :P But here's an update!**

**Kitsune Foxfire: No beatdown u_u; It ended up pretty anti-climatic. Wasn't planning for a big fight in the first place, just needed to get Luffy off Moby Dick. **

**ASLfangirl: Puked rainbows? XD Impressive! I hope it'll be worth it. I'm pretty bad at writing important stuff ahahaha...**

**Natylol: Yep! Don't you hate that? :P**

**AkaNeko-san: Well he subconsciously remembers. Not actually. Ace just yelled XD Wasn't much he could do. **

**spoons-are-evil: Wow, that's so nice :D I'm glad you like it! Option 2 was...ehehehehehehe...it would have been so much fun. But alas, it will never come :P Oh well, this one is fun to write as well.**

**The Darkest wizard: Here's an update.**

**(Well, thanks for the reviews guys! ****_Divide_**** passed both this story and ****_Skip_**** in reviews. Isn't that scary? *shivers* It's only a matter of time before it takes out ****_Resolve_**** as well. Scary thought, especially since it has the least favs and follows of all my stories! On a different note, please tell me what you think of this chapter. I'm on the fence with it. Adieu~)**


	8. The Marine's Return

**Disclaimer: I am not responsible for the straightforwardness of this chapter. Well, maybe I am, but ignore that.**

* * *

Luffy stormed out of Sengoku's office, mumbling something under his breath. The Marines in the hall all turned at the stomping and quiet threats the boy made. They smiled, having seen this reaction many times before. The Feet Admiral gave him new instructions and the Captain didn't like it.

"Bad day, Monkey?" one asked teasingly.

"What's Sengoku's punishment for you this time?" another chimed.

"Shut up!" he commanded, gritting his teeth as he marched past his allies. The conversation he had with his superior was still ringing in his head, making him angrier by the minute. The last thing he wanted was to listen to the other Marines' playful banter.

"Awe, don't be like that!" the first said, rushing up and wrapping his arm around Luffy's shoulders, receiving a dark glare. "What's he got you doing?"

"He's reassigning me to East Blue. East Blue, of all places!" he spat, not believing his own words. He was well aware that it was the weakest sea and that was the last place he wanted to be. Sengoku was probably laughing in his office over his punishment, knowing that it would tear the small Marine up inside.

"For what? Reconnaissance?" the second asked, following beside the other two.

"He wants me to be a damn watchdog for half a year! Told me to wander around and deal with any problems I find."

"That's strange; he's not even giving you a mission, really."

"I know. It pisses me off."

"And half a year? Wow. He must be really angry at you for getting caught by Whitebeard."

"You don't have to rub it in," Luffy stated, his pride already very damaged from the Fleet Admiral's earlier remarks. The two Marines noticed his pouting and smiled, knowing the perfect way to cheer him up.

"As an apology, we'll buy lunch. How's that?"

Luffy's head turned to face the man who hung onto his shoulders, eyes lighting up far more than they usually would. The food at HQ was really amazing. Their chef was one of the best and it had been far too long since he'd last tasted his cooking. Hell, the entire cooking staff was phenomenal! Sure the food on the Moby Dick was good, but it couldn't compare to the meals he'd grown up with. Well, he _thought_ he grew up with. Now he wasn't sure. He couldn't tell where his memories began or where they ended. He knew Garp would be able to tell him but the old man wouldn't speak a word about it. They'd come to the agreement that he would confirm anything that Luffy thought he remembered but aside from that Garp would remain silent, saying nothing. He wouldn't even tell him what age he was when he lost his memories. It was frustrating.

He shoved gloomy thoughts like that to the back of his mind and eagerly grabbed hold of his friends' wrists, dragging them merrily to the cafeteria and ordering far more than any normal human would need. The two men sighed, knowing that they were going to be broke by the end of the day, but it was all worth it if they could cheer him up. They were Luffy's subordinates on his last voyage but had known him for over two years before. He was a good guy, though a bit eccentric when it came to matters on his stomach.

His eyes shined brightly as he took in the magnificent feast before him. It was only a matter of seconds before he dove right in, shoveling meat and vegetables into the black hole under his nose. Back on the Moby Dick he had bothered with manners, seeing as he was taught to do so around everyone he met on the job, be they friend or foe, to show that he was civilized. He didn't have to worry about those types of things with those two – they were friends, comrades.

He'd had to put up a front while on that ship, as well: his training taught him to always be scrutinizing and cautious, never letting down his guard. That determination began to slip towards the end. He'd conversed with the pirates and even saved one of them, as much as he would like to deny that last bit. It showed that he was weak. He still needed more training. He needed to be able to stay calm no matter what was said to him. Maybe that's why Sengoku was sending him to East Blue. Brother or no, he shouldn't have reacted.

Speaking of, he had spent the night wondering about Ace, having found that everything he said was true. After his short interrogation, Garp revealed that not one thing Ace said was incorrect. He never lied. Not only that, they were brothers – not blood related, though, which was strange. If they weren't real brothers then what were they?

His mind wandered to something else Fire Fist said; did he really want to be the Pirate King when he was younger?

"Looks like we won't see each other for a while," one of his friends started, bringing him out of his thoughts. Luffy's hands ceased scavenging for food and froze. He never left the base for more than a month. He was always with those two, but this time he would be going out alone. He would be leaving the Grand Line, even.

"…Yeah."

"We'll meet again, right?" the other asked, smiling knowingly.

Those words brought Luffy back to what he said to Ace before he left. He smiled and before long that smile widened into a toothy grin. He was leaving. Hell, he wouldn't return for six months. But that was okay. He would accept his punishment like a man. He would use it as an opportunity to get stronger, hone his skills. Then he would return. He would reunite with his friends and he would fight Fire Fist like he promised. It was only a minor setback. "Of course, shishishi!"

* * *

Night arrived, leaving Luffy in his private bunk. Arms folded behind his head, he started to formulate a plan. What would be the best way for him to utilise his time in East Blue? It was the weakest sea, so he couldn't expect to find very strong opponents – nothing like what the Grand Line held, anyways. Maybe he could practice with haki. It was clear after his battle with the Whitebeard pirates that his control was lacking, seeing as he knocked out his comrades with Conqueror's haki in his attempt to deal with the weaker pirates.

He also wanted to think up some new ways to attack using his Devil Fruit ability. After being mocked when he was younger for its useless nature he had proven them wrong and would continue to do so. Even Ace – wait, what? Ace… He said it was useless at some point, didn't he? But it wasn't while he was on the Moby Dick and he didn't remember meeting the pirate before then. He knew he must have, seeing as they were 'brothers', but when? And that thought, where did it come from? Logic told him it was a memory, but all he could recall was that Ace had said something like that at some point. He didn't remember him saying it or when they had a conversation about it, he just knew that he did.

His circular thoughts were starting to frustrate him so he hopped out of bed and opened the window, leaning on the sill. The wind pushed back his hair as he stared out at the vastness of the ocean. Sailing on it made him feel free. Maybe that's why he used to want to be the Pirate King – unrivaled freedom. Maybe that was why Ace really did become a pirate. If those dreams were actually memories then that was definitely the case. He looked so happy, shouting for freedom.

_"We'll live freely, without regrets!"_

As he thought more about it, those words really energized him. He liked being a Marine. He enjoyed saving people from pirate invasions, from the lawless scum that crept into their lives. He liked it, but he wanted something more. The life he lived was constricting. He was bound by the commands of his superiors. At the same time he didn't like having everything on his shoulders – didn't want to be responsible. He knew the jobs of Sengoku, Akainu and all of the other higher-ups were daunting and not something he wanted to do. He didn't like that sort of pressure. Maybe he was content, after all.

In all of his wonderings, he thought back to the freckled pirate. What was he doing right then?

* * *

Ace lied on the figurehead, arms cushioning his skull, watching the stars. He was reflecting over the previous day when his brother left, but he wasn't bitter about it. In that instance he realized how selfish he was. Throughout the duration of Luffy's stay he wallowed in self-pity because he was forgotten, but wasn't it Luffy who was suffering? He knew the boy had noticed the gaps in his memories. It must have felt horrible to realize your life was blank – that people who you never met knew things about yourself that you did not. Did it hurt? Was he scared? He never bothered to ask.

What's more was that he rejected the Marine in favour of his memories of a time long ago. He didn't want to admit that his brother had changed, but he did. Really, it was only then that he noticed how stupid he'd been. Luffy was Luffy, regardless of his looks, personality or occupation. It didn't matter that he was a Marine or that he didn't remember. No matter what happened, he would always be Ace's little brother. Nothing would change that.

"You okay?" asked a male voice. Ace turned to see that Thatch had taken a seat next to him.

"I'm fine, just thinking."

"About the kid?"

"Yeah, and some other stuff."

Thatch sighed, looking out onto the water. "I miss the brat. He wasn't so bad, for a Marine." Ace smiled at that. Really, the commander had a point; most Marines would rather choak themselves than hang around pirates but Luffy adjusted quite well. "I was hoping he'd become my accomplice."

"Accomplice? You mean for those pranks you pull on Marco?" He laughed at the thought. That new Luffy was more strict and uptight than the one he remembered but he could see him going along with it. He hadn't lost his more mischievous traits.

"They're not pranks, they're art," Thatch corrected, sticking his tongue out at the young man. Ace let out a chuckle and rolled his eyes. Only Thatch. "You goin' to be alright?"

"Yep. He said we'll meet again, so I'll just wait for that day."

"You're pretty dedicated," Thatch stated, smiling down at the younger. He was impressed with how well Ace was taking it. The boy spent the past week in a daze, more depressed than he ever saw before. Now it seemed he figured something out. He was happy to see his friend smile again.

"Of course; he's my brother. I wasn't about to force him to stay here."

"You weren't?" he teased, remembering how frantically Ace latched onto the boy's arm.

"…Okay, I was, but I let go, didn't I?" Thatch laughed. "Luffy has a place to go back to. He probably has friends over there, too. I would never take that away from him. He has his own life to live and I have mine."

"So you're not upset?"

"Nah, just a little…sad I guess. And excited."

"Excited?"

"Yeah," he began, thinking about what Luffy said to him before he left. So he wanted a fight, did he? Well, that could be arranged. By then they would both be a lot stronger. It wouldn't be a conventional reunion but nothing about their relationship was ordinary. Hell, they swore their brotherhood over sake as kids – not a common way to gain a family, but it worked. He recalled those days spent with Sabo and Luffy, letting a wide grin pass over his lips. They would meet again so he wouldn't be sad. It wasn't 'goodbye'. "Because this is only the beginning."

* * *

**A/N: This is my 5th update in 4 days. Be happy. So yeah, not much happens. I made it to show you what Ace and Luffy think about the situation. Also, to anyone who also reads ****_Divide_****: next chapter is written and it actually has a fight scene! Can you believe it? Squee~ Though not enough reviews, so you'll have to wait :P I'm also half done the next chapter of this story and half-way through the next chapter of ****_Resolve_****. ****_Skip_****...I don't feel like working on. Sorry :P**

**To my lovelies~**

**MeikoKuran999: How is he a fake? o.o; Luffy is Luffy. I swear he's not a clone. **

**Natylol: Just have to wait and find out ;) Eventually. And I'll update when I update. Rushing me will only delay chapters. When I get reviews telling me I have to update it kinda gets rid off all of my energy and excitement over writing, you know?**

**Kiyoumi: I'm glad you do XD The Straw Hats...they'll arrive in time ;) They won't meet for a while, sadly. But I'm glad you pointed out how there were no goodbyes and how Luffy cares for his men ^^ Most people ignore that in favour of the AceLu drama =_=;**

**XxSaorixX: I didn't do it! Luffy did! Blame him! Sadly the tension kind of drains with this chapter ahaha ^^; It'll return eventually. Lol mine automatically logs me in XD Otherwise any reviews I post would be as a guest :P**

**spoons-are-evil: Actually that liquid was just to knock him unconscious :P There's more to in than just the syringe. Lol it kinda was like that, huh? XD Yep. I have fun writing him because of that. He plays dirty which makes him far more interesting to write. He's like the Sabo of Reverse only tonned down immensely and with a lot less witty banter XD**

**ASLfangirl: The suspense isn't meant to remain constant throughout the story. Besides, there's more to that flashback then what you guys seemed to have noticed. Knowing that, I think I did a good job :P Garp's gonna be a pretty important character thoughout the story. Pay close attention to what he says and does.**

**Son Goshen: I haven't done nearly as much as you did to Ace in your fic! Well...umm...at least I ended his suffering! Wanna know the real excuse for Luffy being an ass? He's a Marine :P End of story. It's a good thing you didn't do that then lol.**

**Kagehana Tsukio: It's a little late for that ^^;**

**Cyborgnetics: Don't worry, it'll be further explained later on. Hmm...well, Ace's luck in Resolve isn't terrible anymore. Skip...it'll be pretty damn terrible, I admit u_u; Divide...at least he experiences love later on in it XD**

**Kitsune Foxfire: No beatdowns. The next chapter of Divide will have one, so that'll be compensation if it gets enough reviews :P Well it wasn't really a recap, but there was a lot of reflection going on in it. I don't do recaps, they bore me.**

**Futakomori: All of my chapters for this story and between 2,000 and 3,000 words. It was only 200-300 words shorter than my usual chapter. Well my health's been bad since I was little. Don't think I'm dying as of yet, though :P**

**samettikettu: Don't hold your breath u_u;**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Nah, you will :P Especially since I rub it in by stretching the horrible ending over the last chapter, a bonus and the epiloque. No! The Troll Empress reveals nothing! Something stupid like what? They'll meet again, but not for a while. I'm sure you can see why after reading this chapter ;)**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: There would have been no plot advancement if he stayed :P And don't worry, Shanks plays a small role in this. Though I'm angry at him because of another fic =_=;**

**azab: You'll just have to read and find out :P**

**angelrider13: I can leave it like that and I did :P I'll start explaining things vaguely in a few chapters. I'm thinking it might end up a lot shorter than I originally intended. Well, we'll have to see. Glad you liked!**

**AkaNeko-san: I just did :P I'm the Troll Empress. Nope, no answer anytime soon. Though I'll reveal small bits throughout, you won't find the cause of everything out until the start of the final arc ;) Last chapter was the end of the 1st arc and there are going to be about 5 arcs total, varying in length. Hehe bad endings just sotra...happen when I'm involved. You'll probably hate me for Resolve's ending too. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for Divide's ending but since it's so different from my other stories (and currently the most fun to write) I'll try to think of a happy one. No promises, though. Enjoy? Yes, that I do my friend (I feel like responding to the reviews in Divide using Sabo's persona next chapter for some reason e_e;).**

**(So that's all for today! I think I'm updating pretty often, don't you? You're going to want to kill a certain someone when you see the beginning of the next chapter of this, though ;) Just a friendly warning. And anyone who reads ****_Divide_****, again, please remember to review because I'm all giddy and excited to upload the next chapter XD I wanna see how everyone reacts to my first actual fight scene in any of my OP fics. Sadly this story won't have much AceLu interaction until the third arc, if any, so bare with it! I'll still have him showing up! It's necessary, though. Adieu~)**


	9. Depart to East Blue

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. If I did I would have done something like ****_Divide_****. Or Ace would still be alive, at least T^T Also, please don't complain about the length or lack of fighting or anything because it takes A LOT more effort to write these stories than it does to read them. I even added an Omake at the end. Tell me what you think of it, by the was. Criticism is fine, just no complaining. I had enough of that with ****_Skip_****'s last update =_=; Ahahaha...**

* * *

Luffy grumbled when he arrived at the docks and realized the small size of his ship. He slouched, realizing that he would have to travel across Seaking-infested waters on something that was barely sturdy. At least he wouldn't have to pass through that mountain to get out of the Grand Line—what was that place called? River something? Reverse…? Ah, it didn't matter.

A smaller boy with pink hair ran up to him with a tense solute. That kid was going to navigate him to the far end of East Blue because the Fleet Admiral didn't trust him to do it himself. If he tried he might have ended up back in the New World, for all they knew. His navigational skills were pretty famous around Headquarters, for all of the wrong reasons.

"Greetings, Captain! My name is Coby and I'm—"

"—Navigator, right?"

"Yes, Sir." He'd been briefed about the boy the previous day. Apparently he was Gramps' apprentice, though they never met before. They would separate after reaching a specific island in East Blue and Luffy would be left to find his own way back after six months. Really, it was like they were _trying_ to get rid of him.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he saw two familiar faces approach—Admiral Akainu and Vice Admiral Garp. He beamed, glad to see them before he set off.

"Bakainu! Gramps!" he called out, waving to them. He saw the Admiral's eye twitch at the name the boy had given him when they first met and let out a small "shishishi". From what he could recall, it was Akainu and the old man who trained him the most over the years. Of course, that only accounted for _after_ the memory loss. Before that there was no telling what happened to him. He didn't care for the Admiral's usual scowl but his training methods were a lot more conventional than Garp's which consisted of abandoning him in the worst of situations and beating him with his "_Fist of Love_".

The two arrived in front of him.

"Yo!" he greeted, raising his hand in a half-salute.

"You should show more respect to your superiors," Akainu lectured, staring down at him with disapproving eyes.

"Sengoku's being a jerk so I really don't respect _any of you_ right now," Luffy stated bluntly, sticking out his tongue and receiving a cold glare from the Admiral. Garp slapped his grandson on the back with a large, hearty laugh. He liked how strong-willed the boy was; most lower-ranking officers wouldn't dare to even look at an Admiral funny—especially Akainu—but he had no fear. Maybe it was because he grew up around the Admirals. Maybe he was just an idiot. Whatever it was, he liked it.

"That's my boy!"

"Don't encourage him, Garp," Akainu commanded in his usual stoic tone.

"Now for your parting gift," Garp started, ignoring his superior. Luffy visibly paled and he moved his arms to block Garp's attack. The punch connected with his forearms but still went through to hit his gullet. The boy used haki just in time and lessened the pain, though only slightly. "My _Fist of Love_!"

"The hell, Old Man?" he cried, rubbing the sore spot on his stomach. It was a wonder how he made it to seventeen with punches like those.

"Bwahaha!" the old Marine laughed, much to the annoyance of his grandson. Akainu cleared his throat to regain their attention. The two looked, though they weren't particularly interested in what the man had to say.

"Understand this, boy: you are not to enter the Grand Line at all until recalled. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah, yeah—got any food? I need provisions." Really the young Marine just wanted to fill his stomach again before leaving. The Admiral simply rolled his eyes and turned to leave. Garp was about to do the same but a hand on his sleeve stopped him. The look in his grandson's eyes told him he was serious and so he wiped the smile off his face to show that he was listening, giving him a stoic frown not unlike Akainu's. "I want to know what happened, Gramps."

"Luffy, I can't—"

"I know, you've already said that. But I don't like that answer."

"I'm not changing my mind, boy. I won't say anything." He would avoid mentioning why he was keeping it a secret; it would only confuse him more and that was the last thing he needed. Plus he would have more questions, not less.

"Then don't, but promise me something."

"What?"

Luffy leaned in, furrowing his brows in a look of complete resolve. "When I get back, if I can beat you, you tell me_ everything_."

Garp scoffed at that. The boy had never managed to beat him—not once. He wanted to accept, but what if the kid really _did _manage to strengthen himself enough by then? He didn't want to break that promise, nor did he want to break the one they made three years ago. Which was it?

"Alright, brat. Let's see if you can do it."

Luffy smiled mischievously, confidence emanating from his every fibre. "Oh, I'll do it, alright. Just watch me." Without another word he spun to see the small ship of his and stretched his arm, grabbing firmly to the mast before retracting it and flying aboard. His subordinate was already there, ready to leave.

The boat disembarked. Luffy stared back at the base, knowing it as his home. He wouldn't get a chance to visit for a long time, but that was okay; it would be interesting to leave and see what he could do on his own. He still had his obligations as a Marine but, other than that, he could do what he wanted in East Blue. That could be fun.

"Luffy!" he heard someone shout from the docks. He spun around and searched the land, smiling when he spotted his two friends.

"Hey!" he called back, waving at them with his infamous grin. Then he spotted something in one of their hands, but couldn't make it out—too far.

"Take this!" he ordered, holding the object up. Luffy stretched his arm, grabbed it and retracted, staring at it curiously. It wasn't long before he realized it was a lunch. They must have been psychic, knowing he was hungry like they did.

"Thanks!"

"Don't get killed!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

* * *

Akainu, Garp and Aokiji watched from the highest level of Marine HQ as Luffy's ship disappeared into the horizon. The grandfather sighed, wondering how his boy would do out on his own for so long. It was even worse that he was being sent back to East Blue, where he was born and raised. He didn't really remember that at all—an even greater cause for worry.

"He'll be fine," Admiral Aokiji assured as he sat casually on the room's sofa. All of the Admirals met Luffy right after the 'wipe' when Garp returned with him from East Blue. He had a scary look in his eyes back then—broken, full of distrust, and yet holding boundless courage. It was probably then that he first took a liking to the kid. After a few months around him they'd gotten along so well that he even started teaching the boy haki when he had a break from work, though it was Akainu who took the most initiative in Luffy's training. That man probably saw something the other Admirals had missed. "He's a good kid."

"I know," the Vice Admiral groaned, rubbing his temple, "but I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Are you worried he will remember, Vice Admiral Garp?" Akainu asked, hands behind his back as he stood tall, looking out onto the vast ocean. He remembered the man once said that his grandson wanted to be a pirate before the incident three years ago. That wouldn't be good, but he knew the boy well enough to know that remembering his past was unlikely to change anything.

"A little, I suppose." Garp continued watching the place where Luffy disappeared, silently wishing him to stay safe and not get into trouble. He knew that was a futile wish—the boy attracted trouble everywhere he went and left a path of destruction in his wake—but hopefully the sentiment would mean something.

"Even if he remembers I guarantee he'll return. That kid has more pride in being a Marine than I do," Aokiji stated, lying along the cushions. Akainu glared at him and he matched its sharpness with his own. "Don't give me that look—at least I'm being honest."

Akainu shook his head in annoyance and turned back to Garp, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "That boy has potential. I don't doubt that he'll come back with an increased rank."

"Heh, you're probably right. He's my grandson, after all."

* * *

Three weeks. Even with Coby's navigational skills, it still took three weeks to reach the designated island. At that point their provisions were running low and he was _very_ happy to see that they'd arrived. Finally, more food!

He spent the journey up until that point doing most nothing of interest. There was no training equipment and no one to spar with. He contented himself to practice his haki on the Sea Kings and other creatures they came across but it didn't help much; they weren't strong enough. He needed a partner to fight with—someone as strong as the Whitebeard commanders! Alas, someone like that wasn't about to just pop out of nowhere.

Having no one to practice against gave him a lot of time to think, mostly about everything he forgot. Seeing as he couldn't remember there wasn't much he could focus on, but he did his best to imagine with the little bit of information he did have. If he recalled correctly, Ace mentioned that he received his hat from Akagami Shanks, the Yonko. How the _hell_ did he meet someone so infamous when he was a little kid? Well, he wasn't always a Yonko, right? That meant it wasn't as strange as it first seemed. No; the weird part was that Shanks gave up his arm for him. He was a pirate and yet he would sacrifice a limb for some kid he met. Maybe he wouldn't be so bad. Well, they were enemies regardless…

It was after the incident with Shanks that he met Ace, right? The pirate hadn't talked to him about that, but he assumed it to be the case. When had they met? How old was he? Where? Why did he even care?

He sighed. None of that mattered because he could finally set foot on dry land. Time to explore!

* * *

Ace was lying lazily on the Moby Dick's deck, watching up at the sky. They had just left an island and, with no enemies in sight, he was content to spend the rest of the day relaxing. His calm was broken, however, when he saw Thatch sprint out of the mess hall to hide behind stacks of crates that were placed near the rail. He sat up and eyed him curiously. The man was doing his best to hold back giggles.

"…What did you do now?" Ace asked reluctantly, recognizing that face very well. No doubt the older man had completed another 'masterpiece', as he would call it. The fire user felt his stomach churn, knowing that trouble was about to ensue.

"Shh! Not so loud," the redhead whispered, motioning for his young mate to join him behind the crates. He did as was asked of him but immediately felt it was a mistake. They huddled in the small space the piles of crates created, leaning in close to each other like children sharing secrets. Thatch ceased his laughing fit. "You'll see in a minute."

After several minutes of heavy silence they heard the uncharacteristic scream of the first mate leap up from the bowls of the ship. "Damn it, Thatch!" Clearly a certain phoenix was pissed. The guilty redhead just snickered beside him. Ace suddenly feared for his life. Did this make him an accomplice?

The door to the ship's innards swung open violently, revealing a very angry blonde. He had to admit that seeing Marco lose his cool was pretty funny. It was rare for that bored, calm expression of his to leave his face. They heard the heavy footsteps scurry across the deck, searching for the mastermind behind whatever had him seeing red. It wasn't long before a pineapple-like head of hair emerged from behind the crates, grabbed Ace's shoulder and flung him out of his hiding space to get to the real enemy.

"Thatch!"

"H-hey buddy…" The cook paled, sweating bullets. He had no escape and was forced from the safety of the crates to meet the wrath of his crewmate.

"Don't give me that. You're not getting away this time."

"Haha… I don't know what you're talking about…"

"I _know_ it was you. Give it up."

Ace knew he probably shouldn't interrupt, seeing the death glare that the first mate was giving the 4th division commander, but his curiosity got the best of him. "Um, Marco, just what did he do?" The phoenix shot him a look so cold even his body of fire felt a shiver before he returned his gaze to the man who he was holding by the collar.

"He fixed all of my furniture to the wall."

Silence. Then Thatch resumed his earlier giggle fix, remembering his 'work of art'.

"That's…" Ace blinked, wondering if Marco was being serious. He turned to the suspect. "How did you even _do_ that?"

"Years of practice, my friend!"

"Don't be so proud of yourself. You're fixing it."

"…_All_ of it?"

"Down to the last nail."

Thatch sighed. Putting everything back the way it was would be a lot more difficult than messing it up. Still, it was _so_ worth it.

* * *

Omake

Luffy: Collie! Where the food?!

Coby: That was the last of are provisions, Sir. -whisper- And it's Coby…

Luffy: Oh. Okay.

-10 minutes later-

Luffy: Corry, how must longer?

Coby: Another hour, Sir. -whisper- Also, my name's Coby.

Luffy: -sigh- This trip is so boring! Hey, Cody, let's spar. You trained with Gramps—I'm sure you can handle it!

Coby: N-no, Sir! I could never—

Luffy: Come on, just one round! Tell you what: I'll even stop before you pass out! Sounds good, right Cody?

Coby: I can't! With all due respect, Sir, you're a monster! Also … -deep breath- MY NAME IS COBY!

-silence-

Luffy: Well you should have said so sooner! Now let's go to the back deck—there's more room to fight there! Shishishi!

Coby: You'll destroy me…

Luffy: -grabs Coby's arm- Hurry up, Curly!

Coby: T^T

* * *

**A/N: So about Akainu...ahahaha...don't kill me, 'kay? He actually plays an important role in arcs 4 and 5. Also I wanted to show his more human side. Don't get me wrong - I hate the guy for killing Ace as much as any One Piece fangirl - but I've been reading a lot of fanfics that put him as this horrible, sadistic, torture-loving freak who wants to destroy all One Piece happiness and I really don't think he's that bad. Sure he's an asshole for killing Ace and him being Fleet Admiral...not good. But if you look at it from his perspective he's just doing his job and all of the choices he makes are based on his own morality. So while I hate him with every fibre, I don't think he's the worst person in the OP world. You know who is? Teach! He orchestrated the whole damn thing! D: And stealing Oyaji's ability like that...I'll kill 'em! Ahem. So you'll see him periodically throughout along with Aokiji and Kizaru and you'll learn a little about how they, along with the rest of Marine HQ, took Luffy in after his memories were lost. They're going to be the keys to seeing just what, exactly, happened to Luffy after the memory wipe. But that most likely not start until the third arc and we're only at the start of the 2nd, so we have a while to go. I suspect there will be 45-55 chapters, depending on how slow I take things, but don't quote me on that. It always ends up different from my prediction =_=; Anyways, I've rambled enough.**

**To my lovelies~**

**Kitsune Foxfire: You'll see ;) Honestly there are still gaps in this arc that I haven't decided on so I'm not sure. I know it'll go by a lot differently and a lot faster than it did in canon (obviously) but I'm not sure how much to cut or alter after a certain point. As it goes on, though, you'll see that it's going to change drastically from the canon. And yes, I know what I'm doing with ****_Divide_****. I haven't been increasing the amount of reviews needed at all. Apparently I'm doing a good enough job predicting it because I've made it within 24 hours to the goal every time, so don't worry :) **

**one piece girl 99999: I know, I sometimes wonder how I'm remembering to eat with how much I've been writing lately u_u; Yes, they would probably scar the poor man for life XD Doubled reviews aren't counted :P**

**RoXaS707: Lots of bad, bad stuff... You'll find out eventually. I changed the ending of ****_Skip_**** from complete tragedy to mindfuck so this is now the story with the worst ending in my opinion. Hell, darkest plot,too. Lol yes I am~ Thank you for admiting it ;) Well they're not all necessarily sad endings. This one is sad. ****_Skip_****'s ending basically has me troll you to the best of my abilities. ****_Resolve_**** you'll hate me for at first. Ah well, I'll makes some fluffy oneshots or something to make you guys feel better. **

**Cyborgnetics: Yes, I seriously don't know how I do it, but somehow I'm managing. Thank you!**

**spoons-are-evil: Yep XD People don't seem to realize it but Luffy is a lot more like his old self than they think. He just had to keep up a tough front when with the pirates ;) I love Thatch, too. It's amazing how much my love for him has grown through reading and writing about him, despite him showing up so little in canon. Nope that would not be fair at all :P Lol it autocorrected to Fluffy XD But yes, I agree, I like that about Luffy. Yep he's like a toned down Sabo only without the witty banter :D We need more Sabo...**

**Son Goshen: Lol awesome reaction XD He doesn't remember it so that's why he disses it ;) He's about to go there and experience it himself, though, so we'll see if his opinion changes at all. Well Ace basically just accepted everything, like Luffy being a Marine and that he's built a life around his career and they each decide their own paths, so that made him happy :D Luffy was a bit pissy in the last chapter ^^; Blame Sengoku, he put him in a bad mood. I'm glad you liked it :)**

**Kiyoumi: Good, because there will be a lot of that from now on! They're both main character (though Luffy moreso) so I'm going to cut from one to the other a lot for the next while so that you can see what's happening with each. Yep, Ace had passed his self-pity and is now just excited to one day see Luffy again (so they can kick each others asses)! Yeah, one thing about Marine!Luffy is that he can have some pretty bad moodswings. You'll start to see him act more like his old self and then suddenly he'll snap to this pissed off, bloodthirsty, violent side. AKA him being a total jerk. That both has to do with what happened to him and with how his memories were erased. Yep, I added them in to try to show you guys how much being a Marine means to him and how much he cares about his comrades. He's actually a lot nicer than he seems ;) The reason he was an asshole on the Moby Dick was because they were his enemies and the reason he was angry in the last chapter was because Sengoku pissed him off :P Yep, the Straw Hats are important and they will be showing up gradually!**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: Hint: He remembers NOTHING from before his memory was wiped. And you'll get to see where he's going in the next chapter ;)**

**SioQu: Shanks will be in the story later on, I promist ;) Makino... Well, you'll just have to wait and see.**

**samettikettu: Yay~ Thank you! It's ok, it happens ^^ Meh, they're tough, they'll be fine!**

**azab: Thanks.**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Yep :) I know a lot of people are excited for that lol.**

**angelrider13: You started out right at the beginning of the first sentence, but then you veered off track XD And ended it way too early. If it did go like that, you would only be describing up to arc 3 ;)**

**MeikoKuran999: Yes, yes he is. Because you'll get to see him when he's not pissed off or surrounded by enemies :D Is he going to be a pirate? Well, Aokiji gave you a pretty good hint in this chapter. I'm glad you like :)**

**ASLfangirl: Yes :D Sorta, kinda. Yep, it would be so awesome if they got the chance to XD**

**(I swear this is the easiest story to update simply because it gets the least reviews :P But yep, that's all for now. Go ahead and rant about Akainu and Luffy getting along. And tell me if you like the omake! If enoguh people want me to I'll keep making them! Well, time to eat and start on ****_Resolve_****. Adieu~)**


	10. Progression into East Blue

******* Please vote on my profile poll! I'm working on two new fics called ****_To Be a Boy_**** and ****_Imagined Life_**** (plot summaries on my profile) and you can decide if I post them once I get close to finishing them. I'm writing both whether you guys vote for them or not (meaning that either way they're going to take up my time) but I'm not going to bother uploading them if you guys aren't interested. 'Both' and 'Imagined Life' are tied so, sadly, it looks as though ****_To Be a Boy_**** may not make the cut unless more people vote for both. So if you're interested in any of them please vote!**

**Short chapter is short. And Lazy. I just sort of forced my way through this one (didn't even proof read) because I mean you already know how his meeting with Zoro went, right? So there's no fun in that. This arc will be a lot shorter than the others so that we can get back to the main plot. Sorry for this u_u But there are differences in how he met some of his crew and what happens between them so deal with it :P I promise next chapter will be interesting~ Also no omake because I just didn't feel like it. Been working on ****_Resolve_****'s bonus - only 1/2 way through and it's over 10,200 words ._. The hell? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothing except my head. Hear that? By law you cannot have my head if you're upset over the end of the chapter. This goes for you psychopaths as well (you know who you are e_e;).**

* * *

"And why, exactly, am I helping you?" Ace asked dryly as he pulled another nail from the wall.

"Because you love me," Thatch replied in a light tone, grabbing the desk as it came loose and placing it back on solid ground. He gave a bit of a pout as his 'work of art' was dismembered, a piece of him dying inside as he carried the hunk of wood back to where it belonged. If only Marco could learn to appreciate his efforts. Alas, that was never to be. "And because Marco doesn't trust me in his room unsupervised."

"…Of course." _I don't know how you could do more damage than you already have._ Fire Fist shot him a dull glare as he moved over to the next piece of furniture. He looked up, realizing it was out of reach. "We'll need a ladder."

"I'll get it," the redhead stated before exiting the room.

Having nothing to do while he waited, Ace plopped down on a chair they removed earlier and rested his head in his palm, staring at the wall. He really wasn't sure how Thatch got him to agree to clean up the mess from his prank but knew he must have asked while he was still under the effects of his narcolepsy. What a cheap shot.

Before he knew it, his eyelids were starting to get heavy. _Crap, not again._ He sighed as he began to drift off. Really, the whole thing angered him. His sleep attacks had gotten a lot more frequent over the last three weeks and he even fell overboard a few times. Not to mention the sleepwalking—Marco had begun locking his bedroom door at night so that he wouldn't wander the halls and get himself into some impossible situation. He'd done so already—would have drowned in the kitchen sink had it not been for Izo's desire for coffee in the middle of the night. It was weird, though, because his condition acted up when he was stressed yet he was perfectly fine. Sure he was worried about Luffy, but not at all like before.

His eyelids slipped shut and consciousness faded.

* * *

"So where are we headed, Connie?"

"It's—" With a rub of his temple, Coby shook his head and sighed. "Never mind… We're under orders from Vice Admiral Garp to visit the Marine base on this island."

"Hm…" It sounded dull and uneventful. Luffy would much rather go explore the island or, more importantly, eat. He was so hungry that he swore he could collapse from starvation any minute. When he said that to Coby, though, he was told that work came first. _Stupid Casey, acting like he's in command…_ "Why?"

Coby cleared his throat. "There have been reports that suggest the person in charge has been abusing his power. We're supposed to investigate and file a report so that Headquarters can take action."

Luffy groaned and rolled his eyes. Gramps was always trying to make him do stuff like that and he _hated _it. "Sounds boring—you do it."

"B-but Sir, this mission was assigned to you! I couldn't possibly…"

"Then why are you here?"

"I'm going to be stationed here for a while because Vice Admiral Garp is going on a high-ranking mission."

"That so?" Luffy didn't really care—he was more interested in finding a restaurant. But then he saw a large wall. He didn't know why but he found it interesting—at least more so than listening to Coby—and decided to have a look. The other Marine was saying something to him about Gramps when he stretched his arm and flung himself over to the stone structure. He clung to it, staring at the other side with unblinking eyes. Someone was there. His arms and waist were tied with rope to two large, crossing pieces of wood. He could make out green hair under the man's black bandana.

"S-sir, what are you doing up there?" Coby questioned in a worried, shaky voice.

"Hey, know a guy with green hair?"

"Green hair…? Oh, well there's the pirate hunter…" And then something clicked in the pink-haired boy's head. "W-wait, is he there? Roronoa Zoro?"

Luffy turned back and watched the unmoving man. "Zoro, huh? What a weird name." His mouth curved into a mischievous grin. "And a pirate hunter at that? Sound like fun."

"N-no, Sir, wait! He's a criminal that was captured recently. You can't just—"

"If we untie the rope he can escape, right?"

Coby paled. What was that man—that _Marine Captain_—saying? "Don't be stupid! You can't do that!" And then he realized what he just said. "S-sorry, Sir, that was out of line… B-but you can't!"

"Why not?"

…Did that seriously just come out of a Marine's mouth? "What do you think would happen if we let him go?"

Luffy's grin widened to near-impossible levels. "He'd come with me."

"…What, Sir?"

"I'm thinking of bringing a few people back to Headquarters with me in six months. I've heard of Pirate Hunter—he's strong, right? Then he'd make a good Marine."

"M-marine? Sir, he's far from a Marine! He's a convict!"

"And?"

"And I'm sure he'll attack you if you free him!"

There were a few moments of silence before Luffy burst out laughing. The pink-haired boy just stared in shock as fit went on before their eyes met.

"Callie, you don't know much about how I became a Marine, do you?"

"No, Sir…"

"I didn't want to start out as a chore boy so I went around beating up every Marine and pirate I met until they offered me a position. I think I can handle the marimo over there."

"But he's taken on some of the strongest pirates in East Blue! He'll kill you!"

"It's fine—I'm strong."

_What's with this guy? He must be insane…_

"Oi, you two," called out a deep, sharp voice. Apparently the pirate hunter heard them talk.

Coby yelped and stepped back; he still heard him even though he wasn't looking over the wall like Luffy and the sound sent shivers up his spine.

"You're bothering me. Get lost."

Coby ran up to Luffy and whispered up to him. "You can't be serious about recruiting him."

"I am."

_I figured you'd say that…_

Suddenly a ladder was pulled up next to them and leaned against the stone wall. A little girl climbed up it and threw over a rope, slid down it and ran over to the green-haired man.

"Sir, we have to do something! She's going to be killed!"

Luffy's eyes narrowed as he watched the girl offer Zoro onigiri. He had a feeling that the pirate hunter wasn't so bad and that proved it. Then some blonde man came up to them and stepped all over the little girl's food. Things were starting to make sense.

* * *

After a tiring day of work, Marco was ready to just go into his room and sit at his desk to read a book in quiet. But, as usual, things didn't go as planned; he opened the door to his living quarters and his blood ran cold. Every piece of furniture, instead of being placed back in its proper place, was somehow attached to the ceiling. The maps on his walls were flipped upside-down and all of his books were stacked in neat piles on the floor. The only other item on the ground was a single chair placed next to a confused-looking pirate.

Ace turned to see Marco and turned white. He raised his arms in immediate surrender and swallowed heavily. He'd just woken up to find the room in that state and had been busy wondering how the hell the culprit managed to get everything onto the ceiling without any of the furniture falling on him. How the _hell_ did he hold the bed up there by himself while he stuck it there? And why weren't the sheet falling—had he attached those to the mattress somehow?

"I know what it looks like, but before you say anything I think it is important for you to know that this is _not_ my fault."

"You have ten seconds to explain what happened."

"The thing is, I don't really…know. I had another fit and when I woke up it was like this. I swear we'd taken down almost everything before I fell asleep."

"…Thatch?"

"Probably."

Marco suppressed his anger for the time and let out a shuddering breath. "You were supposed to be watching him yoi."

"I realize that. But, in my defense, I had that fit so I can't be held accountable for his actions. You hear that? That means no using me for target practice."

"I can't guarantee I'll hold to that yoi."

Marco saw something sitting atop one of the stacks of books and walked over. As he neared it he saw that it was a plate with a sandwich on it. There was a folded up paper next to the plate that he picked up and read. Immediately after, he crumpled it up and tossed it on the floor, briskly walking out of the room. "I'll _kill_ him."

_Happy Birthday, Marco-chan! Hope you like how your room looks! After seeing how much you adored my last gift I redecorated._

_-The always loveable Thatch._

* * *

"You're Morgan, right?" Luffy asked as he stared up at the big, bulky man who had an axe for a hand.

Morgan looked him over and noticed the white captain's jacket swung over his shoulders. "Who're you, brat?"

Deciding that his reaction confirmed his identity well enough, Luffy shot a stretched arm into man's side, sending him flying off the room. He caught him forcing the Marine officers stationed at that base to raise a statue in his honor—pissed him off. Not to mention there was that bratty son of his who stepped on the little girl's onigiri earlier—wasting food was a crime in his book.

When he saw that the man was still alive he jumped down and greeted him at the base of the tower. He smiled. "I hear you've been abusing your power, _Captain_."

Morgan got up off the ground and recomposed himself, glaring at the strange boy before him. He hated to admit it but the kid was strong—broke a few of his ribs with just one hit. "And what does it matter to you?"

"It matter's a lot, actually. See, I'm from Headquarters. When they come across guys like you, they dispatch people like me. I'm here to arrest you." Ordinarily Luffy wouldn't be so angry but this time he was pissed. He'd seen how scared the townspeople were of the Marines and saw how he treated the people around him and even he, who was usually indifferent about matters like that, felt the need to step in.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Morgan smiled and turned to his men who had run into the open area near the building to see what was going on. "What do you men think? Am I abusing my power? Am I such a bad captain?"

Luffy looked over and saw that all of the commissioned officers hung their head low, clenching their fists. They were obviously scared of the man, although it was irritating to see how not even one was willing to stand up to him. Was all East Blue as pathetic as that?

"Then maybe you remember this, old man." He held up a poster. " It says 'Anyone who helps this criminal will be executed'. This is for Pirate Hunter Zoro, right?"

"Get on with it, boy."

"What crime did Zoro commit, exactly? I heard that he stopped your son from terrorizing the townspeople. Not much of a crime."

"Luffy!" Coby shouted as he came running out of the Marine base carrying three swords. At some point he'd stopped calling him 'Sir', probably around the same time they started getting along.

Luffy smiled—now that they had those swords he could be done with the damn place.

* * *

"Too late—you agreed already! Shishishi!" Luffy stated as the moss-haired man's protests continued.

"You never told me I'd have to become a Marine, kid."

"You never asked."

* * *

Ace awoke in the middle of the night. He was heading into the galley to grab himself a little midnight snack when he saw that the kitchen door was open. That was weird since Thatch was very adamant about locking it. So, curious, he went to take a look.

His hand rose to his mouth as he stared down at the bloodied body on the kitchen floor. He ran over and shook the man, trying to wake him up. "Thatch! Damn it, Thatch, this isn't funny!"

There was no response.

* * *

**A/N: And now you know why I said the next chapter would be interesting. Sorry that this chapter is so sloppy and rushed, I just... Well... Come on, we've all seen how Zoro and Luffy met and I just tweaked it. And remember how Kuffy was really OOC in the beginning of the fic and sort of went more in-character once he got back with his buddies? Well since many of you didn't get that before I'll explain it: he acts like himself (or close enough to his canon personality anyways) when he's with people he trusts and acts really OOC when he's with everyone else (Hint to why: he was RAISED BY MARINES. Yeah.) Anyways I'll show you what happened with Thatch next chapter~**

**To my lovelies~**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Awe it's okay~ ^^ Hehe I can make him nicer because if you think about it it's unlikely that he's such an asshat around people he trusts. I can't stand the guy but he's not all-around horrible like Teach *spits on his name* Bastard... Gotta love Thatch. He's just so awesome, isn't he? I need to add his pranks to my other stories hehe. And yes Kuzan is just awesome :P**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: See? It's all about perspective! Throughout this story I'm going to have him appear more human than he does in other fics. I think he gets too much hate - Teach is the real jackass. I'm glad you like how I write him~ He's really important later on so I gotta do my best with him! *serious face* Gotta love Thatch's pranks. And his peace offering to Marco - a sandwich :P There will be more omakes, just not this chapter because I'm lazy...**

**Miishai: Glad you liked it! Akainu's going to be pretty likable in this story because of his role. Hehe yeah, can't ignore our loveable big brother and his crewmates, right? I mainly did it to give Thatch more screen time though T^T**

**XxSaorixX: So far everyone seems to like Akainu in here :D He's nice to Luffy because he "raised" him (since his memories were erased) and he knows that Luffy is Dragon's son but because he's a Marine he doesn't go after him. After the 3 years they spent together he's grown to like him :P Hehe yep, gotta love him for that. Yeah, Thatch needs more love. Just like Sabo. Poor Thatch... My first character death in One Piece...**

**Song Goshen: So does that mean you like him or no? XD Ah well, doesn't matter - as I've been saying since the beginning, people will probably feel bad about not liking him by the end of this :P (I find it funny how he irritates you yet he's acting similar to Sabo and Law hehehe.) You'll probably start to not absolutely hate him as Luffy's past is revealed... Though you'll probably still hate him for what he did to Ace in canon.**

**Guest: Yep, very important. Damn Teach e_e Haha I love None Piece :D Such an awesome abridge series... I think I'll rewatch it after this...**

**spoons-are-evil: Hehe I can see Luffy doing that too XD As for where he went: your answer is above!**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Shanks will show up in arc 3 or 4, don't worry ;) Oh yes, that is the perfect way to describe Akainu =_=;**

**samettikettu: Lol everyone is so mean to Coby XD Awe glad you like~**

**coralia2010: Thank you! You're so sweet ^^**

**angelrider13: Hehehe isn't it? I thought up that nickname when I first saw Akainu in the anime and I've finally had the chance to use it! Well, he gets his crew at least. Yep, it'll be a while. It'd ruin the story if I explained it this early in.**

**MeikoKuran999: Glad you enjoyed!**

**SioQu: You guessed right :D Akainu's actually a pretty decent guy in this fic. You'll see what I mean later ;)**

**azab: Lol okay I won't tell anyone ;) There's more Ace to come it's just this mini-arc is focused on Luffy.**

**AkaNeko-san: He didn't kill Ace in the fic :P If you wanna get through the story without tearing your hair out you'll have to forget about the Akainu from canon because everyone's hatred of him will keep them from getting to understand Luffy's past. Yes, Teach is the worst of scum *rage* Yeah, Teach only showed up one episode in canon T^T It's amazing how many people like him enough to put him in their fics though considering he only had a few lines in the anime/manga :D I'll make more omakes, just not this chapter...**

**mirajane1984: Glad you do~**

**ASLfangirl: Hehe yeah it is but I think it'll get easier once you get to see some stuff about his and Luffy's past. You're welcome~ (It's been so long that I forgot what advice I gave you though XD)**

**Glaymed: Awe thanks~ I'm glad you think it's good! Though this chapter is kinda crap... But it will be getting better! My stories never end up with rainbows and kittens, sadly. They're not very happy-go-lucky. You flatter me, really XD Sorry for the slow update... I got distracted by my other fics...**

**shadyboy: Thanks!**

**ClaireWalters: Glad you like! **

**sakura240: Hehe yep, he's gathering a crew! A Marine crew, but still a crew. And then there will be an awesome return to Headquarters hehe.**

**Metaphorical Tennis: I'm happy you think so!**

**(Well that's everyone~ Seriously, it's so easy to get through this story's reviews than it is my others. Takes me an hour for them! AN HOUR! Ahem. While this is my least reviewed story I still love it more than Skip - sorry, but it's true - and it will start getting more interesting next chapter as I'm sure you can tell by the way I left it off. And please vote on my profile for those fics! I'm 3/4 done one already and the other is about 2/5 done so if you wanna read them I'll need your votes! Love you all and have a wonderful...something. Adieu~)**


	11. Tense Recall

**YES! The plot, I found it! Finally, after trying for like 2-3 weeks, I was able to write the chapter! Seriously I've been trying for forever and just got into it now. But the next chapter shouldn't take so long! This is where things get fun for me to write! Oh, but I was in such a hurry I didn't proof-read this chapter, so forgive any mistakes, 'kay? (...I haven't read through my chapters at all lately... Oops.)**

**If anyone's interested I have two new(ish) stories up for you guys: ****_To Be a Boy_**** and ****_Imagined Life_****. I think the first is a good contrast to this because, while it's kinda sad, it's not nearly as intense as this was in the beginning and will be in the future. (Is that considered a spoiler? No, right? ...You heard nothing.)**

**Also, I'm surprised no one mentioned in their reviews that Thatch died on Marco's birthday. *shrugs* It's not important, though.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece. I also don't own enough caffiene. Seriously, it's likt 9:30pm and my eyelids are already drooping. And I got 10 hours of sleep! The hell is wrong with me?! What happened to the days when I had insomnia?! I miss those days! It was my insomnia that kept me updating!**

* * *

"C-come on! Thatch…"

As Ace shook the man, his hand ran over a wet substance on his back—blood. It was too hard to see, but there was no doubt. He'd been stabbed, likely not long ago.

"…Ace?" came a quiet, shuddering reply.

The freckled pirate's eyes widened and he looked down at his friend's face, seeing his eyes were just barely open. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, gathering the man in his arms and doing his best to hoist him up. "Just hold on. You're… You're going to be okay."

Thatch shook his head and weakly motioned for the boy to put him down but was ignored. "Listen…" He leaned in close to Ace's ear, using whatever strength he could muster to keep his torso up. "I-it was Teach."

Ace's eyes once more shot open twice their normal size before narrowing into a scowl. Teach—the bastard was a member of _his _division. Why would he…?

"H-he… The fruit…"

So that's what it was. He was after that damned Devil Fruit Thatch had. So he tried to kill him. "We'll deal with him later, alright? We gotta get help." That was easier said than done, though. It was the middle of the night. Moving the redhead could cause his bleeding to worsen and shouting wasn't likely to do much, since the sleeping quarters were two levels below.

His train of thought was broke when the body in his hands went limp. "…Thatch?" No answer. "O-oi, wake up! You can't go to sleep, alright? Don't! Come on, Thatch, come on… Don't do this. Open your eyes!" There was still no response. "No…"

* * *

"I'm not going to just sit around here and let him get away with this!" Ace shouted, gritting his teeth as he stared at the first mate, eyes locked on his. Thatch died only three hours earlier and he was _not_ in the mood for Marco's bullshit. "He killed one of his brothers!"

"I have a bad feeling about this, Ace," Whitebeard announced. "It's fine, just this once."

Ace's gray eyes darted over to the gigantic man, glaring at him. He may have respected Oyaji over all else but he wasn't about to back down. It was Thatch! Thatch—the first person who reached out to him when he arrived on the Moby Dick. He was his first friend among the Whitebeard pirates. He was the one who always managed to cheer him up—even after what happened with Luffy. Thatch was there for anyone who needed him. And he died at the hands of that _traitor_, a member of his own division. How could he possibly let that go? No, he wouldn't. He _couldn't_. Thatch wouldn't be able to rest in peace if he did.

"I'm going," he declared, looking right into his captain's eyes with complete resolve. Ace wouldn't change his mind. No, he never would. Because Thatch was his friend—his _family_.

"Ace, think about this," Marco began, taking a step towards the youth. "You'll be going against Oyaji's orders yoi."

"I don't care! That bastard killed him! All for a damn fruit! And he tarnished his father's name." The image of the dark, bloodied silhouette of the fourth division commander flashed through his mind once more, just as it had all throughout the night. He cursed himself for not leaving immediately; three hours of sitting idly by on the ship might have been all Teach needed to get away. But he would find him. He would find him and catch him and _kill_ him for the crime he committed. Then Thatch could rest in peace.

Ace grabbed hold of the orange hat strung around his neck and placed it firmly on his head, giving the old man one last look. He turned and strode through the crowd, ignoring his crewmates' protests. Placing his foot on the rail, he hauled himself over and fell to striker below.

Right before he sped off he heard Marco shout his way.

"Don't do this yoi! Ace!"

The last thing he heard was the first mate's call as he careened across the vast blue.

* * *

"_That was so scary! I thought I was going to die!" Luffy shouted as he sobbed. Across from him stood two slightly older boys, one blonde and one with raven hair just like his. All three were generously bandaged, with the wrappings covering their torsos and heads._

_The black-haired boy jumped down from his perch, shoving his metal pipe into the dirt. Brow furrowed, his face contorted into a mask of anger and annoyance. He shouted his frustration. "You're so annoying! Shut up! How long are you going to keep crying?" He paused for a breath. "I really hate weaklings and crybabies!"_

_Immediately Luffy quieted, biting his lip to hold in his whimpers. He didn't want to be hated, especially not by him. He wanted the older boy's approval more than anything. Sure he still wanted to cry—he was still shaken up by what happened earlier and his body's throbbing reminded him of the beating he endured—but he would keep it in if it meant the other child would like him._

_Both of the older boys were surprised by his silence, most likely wondering why he actually listened. They blinked a few times in silence._

"_Thank you…" Luffy managed to mumbled without crying, bowing his head in gratitude. Still, his voice shook._

_Both looked to each other questioningly._

"_For…" The younger's head hung low, leaving the rim of his straw hat to block his face from the others' view. No longer could he hold back the tears that streamed down his face so he bowed even further from his place on the rock, hoping to hide them with his hat. "For saving me…"_

_The raven-haired boy's anger flared back up. He rose his clench fist threateningly and shouted again. "Why, you—"_

_The blonde hovered in front of him, raising his hands defensively. "Oi, oi… He's just thanking us." He seemed to be the kinder of the two. The other was easy to set off while he remained calm and understanding._

_Luffy trembled, still trying to hold from crying. He didn't look at the other boys and therefore didn't see their expressions._

"_Cheh. And why didn't you tell them?" he heard the freckled boy ask. Even when questioning him, he still sounded pissed. "Though guys kill women and children without a second thought!" _

"_If I told them…" Luffy began, voice breaking as he did so. "I could never be your friend." That mattered more to him than his life. He was the only one there—the only one he could go to. Luffy needed him._

"_That'd be better than dying, wouldn't it?" That time the boy's voice sounded more scolding than angry. "Why do you want to be my friend so badly, anyway?"_

"_Because…"_

"_After all the stuff I put you through… Why did you still follow me out here?"_

_Luffy clenched his fist, refusing to speak for the moment. "Because…" His brow furrowed and he raised his head, shouting. "Because there isn't anyone else!" He took a breath before continuing. "I can't return to Windmill Village, and I hate those mountain bandits… If I didn't chase after you, I'd be all alone!" And that was his greatest fear. He never wanted to be alone. Even if it meant putting his life on the line he would follow. If he didn't he wouldn't be able to escape his loneliness. "Being alone is much worse than getting hurt!"_

_The older one seemed to consider that for a brief moment, still retaining his scowl. "…What about your parents?"_

"_Just Gramps, nobody else."_

_The freckled boy appeared to be contemplating what he said. His face told that there was something deeper on his mind than just what they were saying. He seemed… burdened. "…It isn't so bad if I'm around?"_

"_Mm." Luffy nodded firmly._

"_And it'd be bad if I wasn't here?"_

_Again, the scarred boy bobbed his head up and down in confirmation._

_There was a long pause. It seemed to drag on for a long time and the look in the older boy's eyes was both grave and hopeful. There was a weight on his shoulders that Luffy didn't understand. Maybe it was because he was too young. Maybe he was stupid. Whatever it was, he remained unsure. Then the child hung his head low, in a similar fashion to how the younger did earlier, and clenched his fist around his poll. "…You want me to live?" His voice was low and sad—quiet. Then their eyes met and he stared, his face completely serious._

"_Of course I do!" Luffy found it hard to believe he even had to ask that. Why wouldn't he want him to live?_

"_I see," was his reply, said in just as contemplative a voice as before. Then the freckled boy turned around, looking to neither of the others. "But still, I hate spoiled kids like you." He scratched his head sheepishly, quite to the contrast of his earlier behaviour._

_Luffy jumped down from the boulder, standing right behind the other boy. "I'm not spoiled! I'm strong!"_

_The raven-haired boy turned around. "Strong? How are you strong? You're supposed to be a man yet you keep crying all the time!"_

"_Have you ever been punched by a spiked glove?" he shouted in defense. "I'm only seven! I won't cry when I'm a ten-year-old like you! I'll be much stronger!"_

"_I didn't cry when I was seven, either! You idiot! Don't compare yourself to me!"_

_As they continued to bicker, the blonde crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He stood there in silence until their fighting got to the level of blood-lust, then stepped between them and pushed them apart calmly. "Okay, that's enough."_

* * *

Luffy lay back on the figurehead of his ship, arms behind his head as he stared at the stars. Once more he was grateful to that goat-man who helped with repairs at the last island. When the stupid pirates started shooting cannons at it he knew it would last. At least they made it to an island; otherwise he would have drowned. He supposed he should have thanked those stupid criminals, seeing as he gained the third member of his crew because of them. And he was able to get his ship repaired, dubbing it the Going Merry because of the figurehead. It looked so cool! And Usopp was awesome! He told them the funniest stories and he was such a coward! He was sure that he would gain some courage eventually—especially if he stuck with that crew.

He sighed. That wasn't what he was thinking about—not at all. He had another of those dreams. They ceased after his arrival in East Blue two months earlier, but… They were back. That last one was a lot longer and more detailed than the others. He got to see more of the blonde kid, too. But he didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to because he knew it was part of a past erased from his mind. There was no guarantee he would ever remember everything, especially if he couldn't defeat Gramps when he got back. Still, he was curious…

That boy was Ace, right? Commander of the Whitebeard pirates? It was hard to believe. They were different on many levels. Well, actually, that wasn't quite true. The boy acted in a similar fashion to the way Fire Fist did when Luffy first arrived on the Moby Dick—back when they were at each other's throats—only more distant.

Luffy scowled as he remembered a certain incident where he was being pushed over a rail.

"_You still wanna give me that bullshit, Luffy?"_

That man had a temper. Of course, the Marine might have deserved it for trying to off him in his sleep, but he was acting on protocol. It was what he was taught his whole—that wasn't right, was it? He wasn't with the Marines his whole life, was he? He just didn't remember. His lack of memories was the cause of such hostility between the two. Though knowing they were brothers didn't completely erase his dislike of the pirate, he didn't think he could go so far as to attempt murder again.

"_You have nowhere else to go! We're all you have right now!"_

That… It somewhat reminded him of the dream. Ace was all he had back then. Bandits… Did he live with bandits? It didn't feel like he was too fond of him. His grandfather was his only family. What about his parents? He filed that into the back of his brain as something to ask when he returned to the Grand Line. All he wanted was a friend. That's all. And Ace was everything he could ask for: brave, strong, smart—

No. What was he thinking? He was a damned, dirty pirate—the scum of the sea! Brother or not, he would _never_ admire a criminal. He didn't even know the guy! Sure he saw him in his dreams and his dreams were likely pieces of his memory, but even those were foggy and vague, leaving him to recall very little of their time together. In fact, that was the first time he heard an entire conversation, as well as they first time everything was so clear. For once he saw both of those boys' faces with crystal-like realism. Still, he didn't know him. Ace was… a stranger.

Luffy tried his best but couldn't bring his thoughts away from the boy's face as he contemplated what his child counterpart said about wanting him to live. There was something more there than just a simple question and answer. When Ace asked, he looked… broken.

"Luffy?" came a feminine voice.

The captain looked up to see Nami—his new navigator—staring down at him with curious eyes. "Hm?"

"Something wrong?"

"Mm… not really. Just thinking."

"You? _Thinking_?"

He pouted. Why did everyone always react like that? He thought a lot, actually! Sure his mind was normally focused on meat when he was with his friends but otherwise he would think about a lot of different things, like recent bounty posters he saw or what pirate crews were spotted nearby or… Wait. He thought a lot about the enemy, huh? It was so ingrained in his mind from his training that he didn't even realize. He'd have to blame Bakainu for that one—the man hated pirates just as much as Luffy did, if not more. He supposed the Admiral was a good influence on his subordinates that way. Wait… What was he thinking about before? Something about meat? No, Ace? Ah! Who cared about Ace? Stupid pirate bastard.

_Stupid brother…_

* * *

Omake

Luffy: I'm going to be the strongest pirate ever!

Ace: Heh, a weakling like you? Not happening.

Luffy: Oi, I'm strong! Bet I could beat you!

Ace: I've been beating the crap out of you for three months, idiot!

Luffy: Yeah well that's just because I haven't used my secret attack!

Ace: Secret attack? Ha! You don't even have one.

Luffy: Do too! -stretches arm and completely misses-

Ace: See, you moron? You can't even aim right!

Luffy: Yes I can! -tries again, fails-

Ace: And what the hell kind of attack is that, anyways?

Luffy: It's my pistol!

Ace: Pistol? -facepalms- You idiot.

Luffy: You're the idiot, idiot!

Ace: No, you are, idiot!

Sabo: -sighs- That's enough. You're both idiots. How's that?

* * *

**A/N: So you may have guessed, but I'll say this anyways: I'm not going to rewrite the whole damn canon to include my changes. It's too tedious and it's pointless because the story is about Ace and Luffy, not the crew. I'll be writing parts that have major changes (I wrote the part with Zoro last chapter just to so you know what's going on and what Luffy's course of action is in East Blue) or are completely different from canon. Right now, as you can tell, Usopp and Nami have joined. Well, Nami pretended to join like in canon. They're on their way to Baratie. Also, I know a big chunk of the chapter was taken up by the flashback but that flashback is REALLY important for both the plot and Luffy's interest in Ace and their past. And at the end if you look carefully you can see the contrast between Luffy's two sides. For those of you who may have forgotten due to my slow update (Sorry, the new stories are just so fun and I'm working on two bonus chapters for ****_Resolve_****...!) Luffy acts very different around those he considers his companions and pirates/criminals/enemies. If you were to reread the first few chapters you'll see a drastic change in his attitude since then. It's not that he's randomly changed character, but that he's now much more relaxed because he's with people he trusts. You can sort of see that in the end scene, though it's a little vague. Just thought I'd clarify since it's been a few weeks.**

**Remember how I said that Thatch died on Marco's birthday? Well I just realized that Ace left on his birthday, too o.o That was unintentional (both times) but... I feel bad for him now. I'll avoid 'flying blue turkey' jokes for this story as repentance for beign an ass. Sorry Marco! Umm... Go eat the sandwitch Thatch made you before he died! Cheer up, it isn't so bad! At least you have... Oyaji? Yep, Oyaji's awesome. At least you still have him!**

**To my lovelies~**

**sakura240: Here's an update! Sorry for the delay ^^;**

**samettikettu: Sorry :/ Didn't think it would make anyone that sad since it was just a short, rushed thing. Lol I agree Thatch and Usopp would be awesome together. You're welcome~**

**ClaireWalters: Yep, whole crew as Marines. Though I'm going to skim it because redoing the entire canon would be boring and time consuming :P Well some of them are going to have VERY different experiences in joining, like Robin and Franky. But you'll have to wait quite a while for that. You're welcome~**

**Starry Roses: Hehe yep, Thatch is awesome like that. I actually think Thatch was in the story more than Marco up until this point. That's kind of shocking for me. That's a bit of his OOC acting up, yes. And if you keep it in mind you'll start to understand why he's indifferent to it in future chapters. (Though it wasn't them being terrorized that he didn't care about, it was the fact they were scared of Marines. He didn't care because there are many places in the Grand Line he'd been to that didn't welcome the Marines or were scared of them. He DID care about what Morgan was doing.)**

**Galymed: Heh the timeline is VERY different already :P For one Thatch died around a year before Luffy set sail (because Teach was at Drum Island a year before he got there) and honestly I'm screwing with the timeline left and right in this story. If you mean the order of events, even that's going to be messed with. If you mean the plot/what happens, well, you get the picture. Lol really? Everyone was suspecting it as soon as Luffy left the Moby Dick XD Honestly, you probably don't wanna know what happened 3 years ago...**

**Pokabu: Thanks for all the reviews! Meh, I don't mind spam unless it's ****_Divide_**** because that story updates based on the review count :P Lol yep, this Luffy can be pretty tsundere at times. You'll see that when he encounters Ace again. Glad you liked that part! As you can see from this chapter, the line was much more important than it seemed. And it'll be mentioned again, so don't forget it! Hehe yeah, gotta love that, right? You can even see his tsundere qualities in this chapter if you look :P He's very different from how he used to be that way, since he was originally very blunt about how he felt. **

**WeissDragon: Glad you did! I'll be doing that for all of the crew joining, only adding the parts that I deem necessary and showing the most important changes to the canon. Don't need it to drag on for 10 years like the actual manga, right? XD Yep, it is. But I guess it would have been sadder if I waited to kill him off :/ Oh well.**

**spoons-are-evil: Yep, Oda is definitely a troll. If I'm the Troll Empress he's the Troll Overlord. I mean Ace died 3 years ago and he STILL shoves it in our faces! Dick move, right there. Good question :P I actually was thinking up ways of how he might have done it. Came up with some ideas but, well, not sure how he got the furniture to stay still long enough to get it nailed there :P Of course it was Teach! Who else would stoop so low?! Well yes everyone will join, but let's just say that things are DRASTICALLY different once he returns to the Grand Line. **

**zoel black: I'll be working on ****_Reversed Reverse_**** after I get the ****_Mafia_**** bonus for ****_Resolve_**** done, don't worry!**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Glad you like!**

**MeikoKuran999: Glad you like!**

**Lunacii: Sorry u_u It's for the plot.**

**Bluebird42: Nope, he keeps forgetting! XD**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Hehehe well, I AM the Troll Empress :P Sometimes. I've been pretty nice lately with most of my stories, don't you think? Yes, yes he is. That's why I was sad to kill him off so early, even though I love the guy :/ Well, at least he's in ****_Skip, Divide _****and ****_To Be a Boy_****, right? For now. Well, let's just say that, while things appear almost the same now, drastic changes occur after they enter the Grand Line. (Lol nope he'll never learn, just like he'll never fix his directional confusion.)**

**Prusse: Hehe actually the title isn't referencing that it's a reverse of One Piece, it's... You know what? I'm sure you'll figure it out! Hehehe your questions shall be answered in time.**

**Son Goshen: Nope, the person I'm going to kill off IS someone else. Thatch's death was obvious so I didn't count it. I did push back the death I was talking about, though. Messed with the plot a bit. Wanted to make sure you guys started really liking the character before I offed it :P It appears that there's going to be pleanty of canon. There will be, to some degree. But... it'll be different. Very, very different. Nope, Ace isn't going to East Blue. Has no reason to. Oh no. If it was something as simple as Ace's death, I wouldn't really call it that sad. I mean you've already seen Ace die. If it's canon I won't consider it sad, even if it is. Actually I based Luffy's asshole-ness off of ****_Divide!_****Sabo :P So yes, they're alike.**

**Cyborgnetics: Lol it's okay XD **

**Natylol: Sorry, it's for the plot :/ Though now that I've been writing ****_Imagined Life_**** I feel even worse about killing off characters. Just keep imagining Thatch showing up and being like "Why would you do that?!"**

**Sealing Mistress: Not a prank, sadly.**

**azab: Hehehe we all wanna kill Teach XD**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Sorry, he's dead :/ I know he's amazing! That's why he's in most of my fics! I love the guy! Well technically no, the person I mentioned was not Thatch, but Thatch still dies. Sadly I didn't bother with their reactions since the story isnt' focused on them :/**

**Williamgbirkin: Nope not LuNa. I don't ship that couple. Sorry.**

**SioQu: Hehe yep!**

**ASLfangirl: Hehe yep, no way he'd wait to rise up in rank like Coby :P**

**Naru-sama: Glad you like~ **

**caring16: To be honest I leave a lot up to my reviewers/fans. How is the world doomed, exactly? They made a good decision, I think, and they've stuck with me all the way til this point. Their opinions and reviews have helped shape this story and I'd say they did a pretty damn good job, too. Sure it's not my best fic, but it's at least better than ****_Skip_**** which is my most followed and uses no fan opinions to shape it. I don't care what you say, freedom of speech. I personally find that sticking to your own opinion and not asking for help/advice from fans leads to ruin in fanfiction :P Hell, they've helped me out with this, the level of mature content in ****_To Be a Boy_****, the plot for ****_Resolve_****, the pairing for ****_Divide,_**** and the length of ****_Imagined Life_****. Asking them questions is something I will enver regret. But of course you are entitled to your own opinion :) And why wouldn't I want to know what you think? I'm always interested in hearing the opinions of my readers. I don't like the authors that simply ignore what their fans have to say. Don't apologise, you are perfectly entitled to whatever you wish to say :) Though I with you would have mentioned the story itself hehe...**

**deadlycute17: Yes, Zoro is really going to be a Marine. Shocking, isn't it? XD Here's an update!**

**Sully-van: You should do your homework and use fanfiction as a prize for finishing it! That's what I do! Like I have 3 or 4 chapters to read but I waited until finishing this to do so. They'll be my reward hehe~ Glad you think it was worth it ^^ Hope you enjoyed~**

**(Crap. I don't know why but my wrist and fingers hurt. For those of you who know about my hand injury: don't worry, it's the other hand that's hurting. Sadly I don't think I can write anymore tonight because of it, though. I was going to get started on the next chapter because I'm all pumped =3= Damn. Oh and sorry for there not being any omake last chapter. Kinda got lazy :P But you get one this chapter so you'll forgive me, right? Good. Adieu~)**


	12. The Floating Restraunt

**Not much happens this chapter. Sorry. It's basically the set-up for the next 2-3 chapters. Also, it's a way for you to see how Luffy feels about... stuff. And it's pretty light-hearted which I think is nice after Thatch's death last chapter and Ace being his stupid self and going after Blackbeard. So... yeah. To be honest I'm just excited for when they get back to the Grand Line. That's when the fun begins muahaha!**

**And if you're waiting for updates on this story then you can check out some of my others (though most of you already read some of the others). Just thought I'd put it out there because this story doesn't have regular updates like most of the others.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece. Nu-uh, not at all. **

* * *

Luffy leaned over the figurehead and stared off into the distance, eyes shining as he spotted the floating restaurant he heard so much about—Baratie. Nami mentioned it in passing a week before and he'd been dead set on visiting ever since. Who wouldn't be? It was a restaurant on the water; how cool was that? And, with any luck, he'd be able to snatch himself a cook or two. Hopefully the owner wouldn't mind. So, with thoughts of new crewmates and food filling his mind, he had his navigator set the course. Sure it strayed from their path to the Grand Line but with a whole three months until he could return he figured he had time to spare. Besides, what did it matter if he was late? He could take his time just to spite Sengoku.

Suddenly he was reminded of the reason he was sent to the East Blue—punishment for being captured by the Whitebeard pirates. When he saw that crew next he'd have to beat them up as payback for sticking him in the weakest sea. It wasn't all bad; he met some awesome people and had them join the Marines. It was great! Usopp took a lot of convincing because he wanted to be a pirate, but that changed after a while and he happily came along once the ship was repaired.

Speaking of the Whitebeard pirates, he couldn't help but wonder what they were up to. He hadn't had any contact at all with Marine HQ since he left the Grand Line. Were they still getting pummeled by Newgate's men? He couldn't help but laugh at the thought. Sengoku would be about ready to pull out his hair after three months of that. Why did they attack back then, anyways? He never bothered to ask while captured, for obvious reasons.

How was that guy with the weird beard doing—Thatch? He liked him. He came to visit him in his room a few times to make him laugh. If he was willing to cheer up his enemies then he had to be a good guy… or just very naïve. That was also likely. Still, he appreciated it. It made the days when Ace stopped visiting him a lot less tense. Phoenix was great, too, though he still felt bitter over how easily he lost their fight. That would change when he returned to the New World… whenever that happened. He hoped it would be soon.

All of that crap was unimportant, though, because he was slowly approaching a place that was said to have the best food in all of East Blue. Just the thought made his mouth water. His mind danced with imaginings of all the different meats he could sample, all seasoned to perfection and cooked by some of the greatest chefs… Ace would love it.

…What? _Ace_? Why was he thinking of that bastard? Why would he think… Actually, as he pondered that for the moment, he recalled a discovery he made during one of his dreams: Ace's appetite was just as vast and insatiable as his. He remembered that because in one dream they were arguing over a huge chunk of meat, each wanting to get the last piece. The blonde kid tried to stop a fight from breaking out but, well, it didn't work too well. Luffy lost, of course, and Ace got the piece. _Selfish jerk_… Though, Luffy admitted he would have done the same.

There it was—the Baratie. It looked just as amazing as he imagined it. One thing bothered him, though: it was a neutral setting. That meant that they accepted anyone from normal civilians to Marines and pirates. Should a criminal show up there, the Marine captain would not be able to take action. That pissed him off. He couldn't stand those bastard pirates and the possibility almost made him lose his appetite. Almost. He was sure his stomach would overpower his hatred, though, provided no one big showed up.

Luffy jumped up and down on the figurehead excitedly, getting a better look at the floating restaurant. It vaguely resembled a ship, with two large masts on either side, yet also looked similar to an ordinary establishment. Oddly enough there was a fish head sprouting out of one side, a tail at the other, and three stories in total. Though weird and bizarre, it looked interesting. Luffy loved stuff like that—so cool!

"Hey, Usopp! Check it out!" he shouted to his marksman, pointing energetically to Baratie.

Usopp approached the rail and placed his hands on it as he leaned forward. "Woah!" he exclaimed as it came into view. "Amazing..."

"Isn't it?" Luffy asked, beaming over at his crewmate. "Oi, Nami! Let's dock!" he shouted to the back of the ship, earning a nod from the redhead at the wheel.

He jumped down from the figure head and hurried over to Zoro. As usual, his first mate was resting against the side of the ship, eyes closed and breaths even. The captain crouched beside the man for a moment, blinking at his unmoving figure. He poked him but still he remained there asleep. The scarred man pouted and poked him again. "Zoro," he whined, met with a snore.

Luffy groaned in annoyance, glaring at the green-haired man. Zoro was unmatched with a sword—at least from what he saw—and was extremely loyal. He was an ideal Marine even if he didn't look the part. Still, he was always sleeping and his sense of direction was horrid. He'd have to get him to work on those things once they got to Marine HQ.

Taking a deep, inward breath, Luffy shouted "Pirates!" into the man's ear. Immediately Zoro bolted upright, hand clenched tightly to one of his swords. He looked around, completely alert, before turning to the captain with confusion. It took him only moments to figure out what was going on and he scowled. "Oi, Luffy, stop doing that!"

"Shishishi! It woke you up, didn't it?"

The swordsman grumbled under his breath as he stood.

Yosaku and Johnny said they'd stay and watch the ship. Oh, right—they were a pair of bounty hunters the crew picked up. Apparently they were friends with Zoro or something but Luffy didn't care enough to pay attention. They also told him about Baratie, only enticing him more throughout the past few days.

When they entered Baratie and took their seats they were immediately met with service from a bulky waiter who looked oddly similar to a sailor or pirate. Luffy scowled at that but proceeded to order everything on the menu—twice. Needless to say, that surprised the man, who happily hurried to deliver the order. As he waited he looked around at the other guests. Most appeared to be ordinary people while others looked like possible pirates. He was glad that none of the members of the crew were wearing their uniforms; they'd draw too much attention.

Only two tables away was someone who did just that—a Marine flaunting his position, earning whispers from the other guests. Sure he didn't wear his uniform, but he still stood out. It also appeared that many of the restaurant's occupants knew who he was—someone called Fullbody. A Marine, no doubt. Luffy didn't know him particularly but was sure he saw his face around before. Still, anyone who was stationed in East Blue was not someone to pay attention to.

On his knuckles were sheets of metal, likely used to amplify his punch in battle. But he wasn't so tough. Luffy could have beaten him with his pinky. He hated people like him.

A blonde waiter approached. He was wearing a black suit and carried a bottle of wine. He poured the beverage into the Marine's glass calmly and then did the same for the woman with him. They both wrapped their fingers around their glasses and raised them to their lips in preparation for a drink.

"Look, isn't that Lieutenant Fullbody?" someone near Luffy's table asked. Well, at least they weren't fearful of him like the people were of Captain Morgan. Still, if he was only a lieutenant there was no reason for Luffy to be interested.

"He's a lieutenant of the Marines," another noted. Luffy rolled his eyes—they actually sounded impressed by a position like that. After hanging around Vice Admirals, Admirals and Fleet Admiral Sengoku for three years he wasn't too interested in anything below Captain.

"Oh, he's so handsome and noble," a woman said with admiration. He wanted to vomit. Seriously, the people of East Blue were too easily impressed. That man likely never accomplished much of anything. He didn't look too brave, either.

"You're amazing," stated a feminine voice. Luffy glanced over at Fullbody's table, eyeing him and his partner. "Everyone's looking at you." Again, that was a testament to how pathetic East Blue really was. Now, Luffy wasn't normally in the habit of mocking fellow Marines but something about that man pissed him off. Maybe it was the smug look on his face.

"Not true—they're all admiring _your_ beauty," Fullbody replied. Again, Luffy rolled his eyes. The sound of their glasses clanking together made its way to his ears as the pair took sips of the wine. The pink-haired Marine looked contemplative for a moment. "This is exquisite!"

The waiter was grinning.

"It's the fragrance of Mitqueo City in the north. A bit sour and a bit spicy. This wine is Wurzburg Stein." The waiter placed the bottle noisily on the tabletop. "Isn't that right, waiter?"

The waiter removed the cloth around the bottle, revealing a different label. "Sorry, but it's not, Sir," he stated with a cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth. He grabbed Fullbody's wrist and shoved a spoon into his palm. "Your soup's getting cold. Please enjoy it while it's still hot." And with that he turned on his heels and started walking away.

The blonde stopped just once and turned his head slightly to the Marine. "By the way, I'm the Assistant Head Chef, Sanji." Again he took confident steps. "All of the waiters ran away after what happened yesterday."

The woman with Fullbody giggled, causing the former to clench his teeth in irritation.

"Don't laugh at him," someone whispered from another table.

"But… the look on his face!" exclaimed a woman.

The blonde took another sip of wine, smiling as she had ever since they entered. "Discouraged because of the wine?"

"A little…" A lot, actually, from what Luffy could see. He was staring bitterly into his soup. All-the-while, the Straw Hat teen was resisting the urge to steal it from him. It looked delicious! If all of the food there was that good then he couldn't wait to eat! "My tongue's a bit numb today."

She laughed.

Fullbody picked up a bug from the ground and placed it into the soup. To Luffy, wasting food like that was an unforgivable crime. Really, he was a disgrace to the Marines! He felt like punching him. He would have, perhaps, if he hadn't heard the pink-haired man call out.

Speaking of pink hair, he wondered what Coby was doing. Oh, wait, that didn't have anything to do with what was going on.

"Waiter!" Fullbody shouted.

"Hm?" the blonde, Sanji, grunted as he stopped and turned. He started walking towards that table. "Didn't I tell you that I'm _not_ a waiter?" he asked in a low tone. The man looked between the two seated there before he leaned onto the surface and neared the woman. "But you've certainly got good taste when it comes to your company." He placed his hand on hers. "How about it, Miss? Would you care to ditch this guy and have some wine with me?"

Fullbody slammed his hand on the table and pointed at his soup. "Hey! Does this restaurant make a habit out of feeding its customers insects?"

"Insects?"

"What's this here?" He pointed to the bug in his soup.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I don't know, either. I'm no expert on bugs," Sanji said with a smile, still smoking.

Once more the blonde woman laughed, followed by the rest of the restaurant. Luffy snickered. It served him right for being so cocky. It was nice to hear the other guests mock him and gave him reason to stay put and not make a scene. He was really going to. Everything about that man angered him and he didn't know why. Maybe he didn't like his self-important attitude.

Luffy heard Fullbody shout something but didn't catch it. He wasn't paying much attention. He only looked back when he heard the slam of the Marine's fist against the table, only to see it snapped in half. Everyone went quiet as porcelain bowls and plates crashed to the floor.

Sanji lowered himself to the floor, placing his hand in the spilled soup. "It was still edible," he stated. His face went dark. "I spent three days and nights making this soup."

Fullbody slammed his foot onto Sanji's hand. "Should you really act so arrogant towards your customers?" He twisted his heel. "I'm the customer—a customer paid who paid money!"

"Stop it, Fullbody!" the blonde woman shouted as he wrapped her arms around his, trying to hold him back.

"Shut up!" He threw her off him.

She fell to the ground, concern showing on her face. "…Fullbody?"

Luffy was ready to stand up and do something. When he was through with him, he'd learn to respect food more! Oh, and maybe he'd be less of an asshole. If Luffy hated one thing about the Marines, it was when they acted like he was. But something that chef said stopped him.

"Can money fill your stomach?"

"What?"

"I said…" He glared up at the man, clearly pissed off. "Can money fill your stomach?" Sanji spun around and kicked the man across the face, then grabbed him by the neck to keep him from falling. Blood began streaming from the Marine's forehead, nose and mouth and he didn't appear to be fully conscious. "Don't go ruining our food. Messing with a cook out at sea is a good way to get yourself killed—remember that."

Luffy grinned widely as he watched the scene from the table. He found his cook.

* * *

Omake

Luffy: -points at menu- I'll have this and this and—what's this?

Patty: That's—

Luffy: I'll take it! And, um, this. Oh, and that! Wonder want this is… Two of those!

Nami: Luffy, don't you think that's…

Luffy: What?

Nami: You're ordering too much! How are we going to pay for it all?!

Luffy: -blinks and shows her a heavy pouch- I have money.

Nami: $$! Where did you get that?

Luffy: Work.

Nami: Work?

Luffy: Marine work.

Name: You make that much?!

Luffy: Hmm… On second thought, I'll take everything!

Patty: E-everything, Sir?

Usopp: Oi, oi, that's a lot, Luffy!

Luffy: You're right—two of everything!

Usopp: …

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, some changes like Luffy not blowing a hole in the roof, being present when that happened, and some of the things said are reworded. But this isn't the end to Baratie. Still gotta deal with Don Krieg and Mihawk - which is going to be very different from the original though I won't say how :P Umm... not really anything else to say... Oh! And we're only 18 reviews behind Skip! :D Come on guys, you can do it! Blow that fic out of the water! I doubt you will, but I can dream XD**

**Question: What's your opinion on OC fanfics? Personally I can't stand them. Too many Mary-Su characters, they're always underdeveloped and overpowered, overly-dramatic pasts abound... you get the idea. Can't stand them. At all. Expecially when they're paired with a canon character e_e; Worst part: most fics are exactly like that. Damn it.**

**To my lovelies~**

**Bluebird42: I said I'd TRY. I made no promise. It's hard to keep up with 6 stories and university finals.**

**XxSaorixX: Lol it's okay XD Yeah, I love Thatch. Even if he only showed up for a small portion of one episode. He needs more love T^T I assure you, they'll meet before Impel Down/Marineford. I wouldn't be able to have Ace as one of the main characters if they didn't. Gotta set the plot beforehand, sadly. Really glad you liked it~**

**Starry Roses: Nope, officially she hasn't. We'll be getting to that soon, though. Nope, I meant 'scarred'. Remember, Luffy has a scar under his right eye. I refer to him that was to add variation so that it doesn't get monotonous. Lol yep, it is very depressing. Why be jealous? It's a lot of work keeping up 6 stories and university work :P And sometimes I try to write and I get a crappy review and just... Well... They de-motivate me and I stop working on whatever I was writing u_u; So it's tough. But my reviewers are why I keep going. That's why sometimes there won't be an update for a while if I don't get many reviews for a chapter - don't get motivated, you know?**

**Sully-van: I make no promises either way :P And yes, I have the entire ending planned out. Lol you do that!**

**Metaphorical Tennis: Yep! Although this chapter had a big chunk of canon, but that was so you could see Luffy's thoughts on it and his reasoning for why he wants Sanji to join his crew. Actually sleeping randomly when I feel tired causes more problems than it solves. I need to get into a pattern of going to bed at a certain time in order to get more sleep, which I've done. Now I'm always tired because of finals coming up, though =_=;**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: I think most people know where I'm going with it :P**

**trisha23flow: Lol got ****_Skip_**** and****_ Reverse_**** confused? XD Glad you like :)**

**azab: Who knows? :P**

**Williamgbirkin: Can you please not leave a review for something like that? It was just a typo. And it's kind of annoying to get an alert only to see that you haven't mentioned the chapter or story at all.**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Yep, gotta feel bad for Marco. Best friend/brother gets murdered on his birthday. I'm so mean, aren't I?**

**spoons-are-evil: Nope he didn't remember. Garp told him that Ace was his brother when he rescued him, remember? He was blatantly told that Ace was telling the truth about everything. Lol I agree I like Sabo's input at the end XD**

**Son Goshen: Stumble isn't the right word XD Hehe I remember that part. Just another show of how different luffy is as a Marine! Marine!fics are awesome, seriously. They're so different from the norm and I love it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I made another Marine!Luffy story in the future. Got no ideas for one, though. Lol why don't you use alterts? They make life so simple!**

**MysticMaiden 18: You're welcome~ **

**Naru-sama: Yep, slowly! Though he doesn't make much sense out of them... I will!**

**WeissDragon: Lol that would be no fun, I like typing! I did my best to add a little emotiong to the scene - glad you think it worked!**

**MeikoKuran999: That's good! See, I told you guys you wouldn't always hate him :P No one believed me. Ha! I win! Well here's Sanji for you :) Yep, Luffy's conflicted. Though right now he still consciously dislikes him. Lol it wasn't because they forgot his birthday but because his best friend/brother DIED on his birthday that you should feel sorry for him. Nah, I like long reviews! They're my favourite! **

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Lol yes you should XD Real life can be annoying like that. Gotta love moments like that!**

**Guest: Mmm sorry but not gonna happen :/ Just doesn't fit with the plot since I've planned out the ending. But interesting idea! That would be awesome!**

**SioQu: Lol you and your theories XD**

**The-Chibi-Master564: Dissociative identity disorder doesn't fit into the plot sadly :/ I do have a plot summary written down that involves it, though, so you may see a fic with it in the future! Lol most people like him now. Plus you gotta consider the circumstances; he was doing his job, you know? (Chapter 9 review) Well his 'normal' side is still very different from his canon personality.**

**FullMetal-Flames: Lol I know what you mean, the same happened for me. Hehe many people have said they bypassed my stories like that XD Here's an update~**

**Cyborgnetics: Yep, which annoys him to no end :P You'll see them more as time goes. And then less. And then more again! ...Then less again. They come and go XD**

**(Well, that's all for now! Hope you guys enjoy Easter! ...It's Easter this weekend, right? The university doesn't close on Easter so I don't bother paying attention. Not like I celebrate it :P Anyways, yeah. Adieu~)**


	13. At HQ

**Finally an update! Sorry guys D: I kept trying to write this, getting a sentence down and then being like "umm..." and so it took a while u_u I got pretty into it towards the end, though, so hopefully the next update won't take too long. In the meantime, if you haven't checked out my fic ****_To Be a Boy_**** then feel free to do so if you get bored because we only have one chapter left! :D I also said that because some notifications haven't been going out the past few days, sadly. I haven't been getting PM notifications T^T But whatever! Enjoy!**

**Question: Is it exam time for you or has it passed/is it coming up? Me, I'm done and loving it! :D Actually I kind of miss my psych classes... u_u**

**Disclaimer: You know, finding the One Piece would be depression. Then everything would be over! Mystery solved! Adventures complete! So I'll leave ownership of it to Oda and some day Luffy, seeing as they're so enamoured by it :P So yep, don't own One Piece.**

* * *

Luffy gazed down at the lower deck of the Baratie, leaning on the rail as he watched that blonde cook—Sanji—feed a pirate named Gin. The man arrived at the restraint starving but was turned away because he had no money. Apparently his dire condition struck a chord with Sanji, though, because he went outside to give him some food. The man looked very grateful, but Luffy had a bad feeling about the whole thing.

Nothing good ever came from dealing with a pirate.

After finishing the meal and thanking the cook profusely, Gin set out once more, leaving the blonde on deck alone. For a moment Luffy thought of remaining silent and going back into the restaurant, but couldn't. There was a small voice in his head that willed him to speak his mind. He knew no good would come of it, though.

"So you never turn anyone down?" he asked, catching the man's attention.

Sanji turned to look at the marine, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "Not if they're hungry," he replied, releasing a puff of smoke.

Luffy smiled. "Admirable," he began, face falling into a frown, "but you shouldn't have done that."

The blonde narrowed his eyes but remained silent, opting instead to glare at the teen.

"You're putting them in danger, you know." A long silence past between them, the only sounds being the muffled voices of the ones inside and the wave slamming against the haul of the Baratie. Luffy broke out into a large grin. "You're going to join my crew!"

Sanji's glare turned deadly. "The hell I am," he shot back, chewing on the butt of his cigarette. "What are you, anyways—some shitty pirate?"

Luffy scrunched up his face as though he was insulted. "Nope, marine," he corrected.

The blonde scoffed at that, moving to fully face the alleged 'marine' and lean against the rail. "I was raised by pirates. What makes you think I'll join you?"

"I know you will."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep! Because you're like the rest of us." When he saw the blonde was waiting for him to continue he laughed as though he should've already known. "You have a dream."

"Yeah—All Blue… Who told you about that?"

"I just know!"

"Oh yeah?" His voice was laced with disbelief.

"Shishishi!"

* * *

Nami watched as her captain boarded the ship, an odd look of contemplation crossing his face. It didn't suit him. So, naturally, when he neared her she had to question it. "Something wrong, Luffy?"

"We're staying here for a while."

"Eh?" Usopp questioned, looking over from across the ship. "Why?"

The marine's mouth curved into a wry grin as he lowered his hat over his eyes, passing them without a second look. "You'll see."

* * *

Garp stared intently at his most recent report. Having gotten back from his assignment only one day previous, he was behind on his paperwork. It was his least favourite part of the job. Sure, being Vice Admiral was great; he got to be a hero of the people and fight against criminals, making the waters a little safe to tread. But there was one downside and that was looking over and signing the ridiculous amount of documents allotted to him. Why the government needed written documentation for every damn thing that happened was beyond him and, were it his choice, he would throw those papers into the sea!

Normally he wasn't bothered much by the deskwork of his job, actually. That day was special. That was the day he got to see his grandson in those reports, be it good or bad. The fact that he was even in the papers was stressful for the old Vice Admiral. Luffy just couldn't do things quietly, could he? Of course not; he was the grandson of the hero of the marines!

Bracing himself for any damage reports that might pop up, he read over the first paper. Apparently he took out Captain Morgan—the man suspected of suppressing his men and abusing his power. While he was only supposed to go there to confirm the complaints they received to be true, he supposed it could still be considered a successful mission, seeing as the man in question was safely behind bars.

Flipping the page, he was met once more with the name Monkey D. Luffy. Sighing, he quickly read it over. According to the document, he fought against a pirate named Buggy. Mauling the name over in his head, he thought it sounded kind of familiar. Then it hit him; wasn't there a cabin boy on Roger's ship with the same name? He was always hanging around Red Hair, if he remembered correctly. Smiling to himself, he continued.

It seemed his most recent venture was taking a pirate named Kuro into custody. While Garp had no idea who he was, it showed how serious his grandson was taking his job—made him proud.

He never thought he'd see the day when his boy joined the marines. All throughout their childhood, his grandsons would talk about sailing the seas, being free and exploring new lands—as _pirates_. When Ace set off three years earlier he'd resigned himself to seeing Luffy off in the same way. It was depressing but as much as he wanted him to follow in his footstep he understood that he had to make his own decisions—live his own life. Even if that meant one day meeting on the battlefield, he would accept it.

Then things changed. In a matter of twenty-four hours everything was gone. He lost his precious grandson, something that he was certain he couldn't relive. Luffy was… a shell. He was hallow, empty, like some sort of puppet. Garp hated seeing him like that. But then the boy started to talk again. The first thing he asked was to become a marine, no prompting whatsoever. All that remained of Monkey D. Luffy was a hatred of pirates.

It got better—eventually. He started opening up to people once he arrived at Marine Headquarters and even made friends. The Admirals all shared a special interest in him, for one reason or another, and he began training. Only months later Garp got to see him laugh again. He was happy. But still, even after three years, he was never the same.

Sighing, the Vice Admiral signed the last of his grandson's documents and slumped back in his desk, his mind shifting to his other boy. Ace didn't seem so willing to forgive him. He couldn't blame the boy; Luffy changed so drastically that it made sense to think that Garp was the cause. Who else wanted him to become a marine so badly? The old man actually felt bad for his eldest. After all, he was a pirate. Luffy hated pirates. He could only imagine the fights that broke out between them during Luffy's stay on the Moby Dick.

In a way Garp actually wanted to tell Luffy everything. The boy seemed eager to find out, too. He didn't want him to hate his brother. As much as he regretted it, he wasn't there for them much growing up. While Dadan was a decent caretaker, she didn't show her affection much. Those two were everything to each other. They were best friends—brothers. To see them as they were…

He couldn't say anything, though. He made a promise to Luffy before everything happened and, damn it, he would keep it… even if it was hard.

"Relaxing on the job again, Vice Admiral Garp?"

The old marine opened his eyes to see Sengoku standing in his doorway. He straightened in his seat and broke out into the widest of grins. "Senny! It's been a while!"

The Fleet Admiral sighed. "You should take your work seriously, Hero of the Marines." He said that last bit tauntingly.

"Bwahaha! Awe, come on! You and I both know that this paperwork is absurd."

"And I suppose you don't want me to give you any more 'absurd' reports." When he saw the old marine raise an eyebrow, Sengoku strode up to his desk and placed a small bunch of papers loosely held together in front of him.

Garp eyed his superior curiously before taking the stack and looking it over. His eyes widened and he leaned forward as he continued on, flipping the page to read the rest. A smile spread across his face and he let out a hearty laugh. "That's my boy!"

Don Krieg was a notorious criminal in East Blue. Though his bounty wasn't the highest in the sea, he was certainly dangerous. He had a fleet of fifty ships with over five thousand pirates at his command. The man actively pillaged any island he stopped at and in military strength he was the strongest there. He didn't compare to the pirates in the Grand Line or New World but, even still, taking him down would be considered a great accomplishment for Monkey D. Luffy.

Garp could hardly believe it. His grandson, who claimed that he would one day be the Pirate King, took out not only the three from the signed reports on his desk but also the biggest nuisance in East Blue. He even did that despite how angry he was about being stationed there.

"The boy's good, Garp."

"Heh, I know. He's my grandson, after all," the old Vice Admiral stated with pride.

Sengoku folded his arms behind his back, a look of complete seriousness crossing his face. "I may be inclined to call him back."

Garp snapped out of his glee to face his superior, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What? Why?"

Wordlessly, the Fleet Admiral stepped over to the window and looked out at the docks surrounding Marine HQ. Then, clearing his throat, he decided to speak up. "I'm sure you're aware of the struggle in Alabasta."

His face fell further. "The mess Crocodile created?" he asked, voice low and steady.

"Correct," he confirmed. "The people of Alabasta aren't currently aware that he's the cause of the drought and all of the fighting in the country. Being a Shichibukai, the leaders of the World Government have ordered us to turn a blind eye."

Looking to the wood of his desk, Garp contemplated that. He hated how many privileges the Shichibukai were given. It wasn't right. It put people in danger. That was _not _why he became a marine.

"However," Sengoku began again, continuing to stare out the window, "I will not tolerate this any longer."

"Well, Senny? What's your plan?"

Finally the Fleet Admiral faced him. "I propose sending your grandson undercover."

"Luffy?"

He nodded. "Your boy's only known in East Blue right now. If we send covertly into the country we can begin to take action—if not by defeating Crocodile then by at least gathering information."

The old man remained silent. While he wanted to tell him to go ahead and do it—that Luffy could handle even one of the Shichibukai—he couldn't. After what happened back then… he'd lost his fearlessness. He didn't want to risk a repeat of that incident.

"You've raised two strong boys, Garp."

The Vice Admiral's eyes widened as he looked over his superior with complete shock. "You knew?"

He nodded. "I've known for quite some time." Sengoku registered the worry on the older marine's face and closed his eyes. "I won't act. Your secret will remain hidden so long as I'm given no reason to share. However, if Portgas becomes a problem I'll have no choice."

Garp clenched his fist and turned away. "I understand."

Sengoku gave him a moment of composure before continuing. "As I was saying, they're strong. Luffy has just as much potential as Roger's son. I'm confident that he'll succeed."

The older sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, when he finds out his opponent's a Shichibukai he'll be motivated enough. I just hope that doesn't go to his head."

"He's always been a very simple child."

Garp chuckled at that. "I know; he's trouble."

* * *

Omake

Luffy: You're going to join my crew!

Sanji: Cheh. No I'm not, you shitty marine.

Luffy: Awe, come on! It'll be fun!

Sanji: -eyebrow twitch- Take a hint already.

Luffy: -pouts- But Usopp and Nami said we really need a cook…

Sanji: -sudden change of mood- Nami?

Luffy: Yeah, she's my navigator. See, this guy Zoro knows got scurvy and we were like totally clueless but Nami saved him using this mystery power or something and then he was better but she yelled at us for not knowing what to do and—

Sanji: -kicks in face to shut him up- That's enough out of you. Now where's this Nami you're talking about? –looks around-

Luffy: -mumbles- On the ship.

Sanji: Then to the ship! I'm coming, beautiful lady!

Luffy: So you're joining?

Sanji: NO!

Luffy: Shishishi! Then you'll be my cook!

Sanji: -facepalm- What kind of… I'm not joining some shitty marines, idiot. Listen to me.

Luffy: -pouts- Please?

Sanji: NO DAMN IT!

* * *

**A/N: So as I said before I'm leaving out most of the East Blue fights because, well, you saw them in the anime/manga. It'd be boring for me to write and boring for you to read, you know? Hope you don't mind that. I just wanna focus on getting to the fun part of the plot :) Should only be 3-4 chapters until we get to the part I'm excited to write! :D**

**To my lovelies~**

**Demented Kawaii Kitten: I just find people tent to put themselves into OCs too much :P I don't like that. And most I see on this site are Mary-Sues so I just kinda gave up on them after a while. Plus I can normally predict what'll happen after the first 1-3 chapters, which is no fun for me :/ Glad you like it! While it would be nice for my story to gain popularity, I'm just happy that people are willing to read it :) And, of course, review, because reading reviews is just so inspiring. So thank you!**

**Review for you: Glad you like it! To be honest... you're right XD I love to hate ****_Skip_****. I swear I rant about it to all my friends and readers and everything but when I actually get to working on it I have a lot of fun. It's when I'm not working on it that I hate it :P Nah, I'll keep writing it. I just update it slower than most :P I know what you mean. I've tried reading many but so far I haven't found one that I've liked. OC stories are a double-edged sword. Though the people who write them enjoy it a lot, it's hard for a reader to feel the same for most.**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Sorry, they weren't included ^^; They were very close to the same as the anime/manga so I didn't really see a point, you know? Arlong's arc will be more in-depth though. **

**samettikettu: Hehe yep, that's him alright. He's still in there, even if he's a bit different now! Hand's fully healed! Or, well, it's permanently damaged but it's as healed as it's going to get, anyways.**

**Arithra: Yeah, sad but true. I keep wanting to put in funny, happy moments but it just doesn't fit with the fic :/ I'll try to sneak a few in before the story's complete, though ;) I know what you mean. Too many make just get more and more perfect as time goes on. It's sad, but because of that I can't really say I've read a very good OC-centric fic. I've read some with OC side-characters that were great, but not where the OC was the main focus, sadly. **

**Williamgbirkin: Yeah, kind of skimmed that part. Basically what happened was that Luffy stopped Kuro as usual and because Usopp's dream was to become a warrior of the sea, Luffy was able to get to know him and convince him to join. I don't really think it's hard to believe but yeah like Luffy mentioned in the chapter it wasn't easy to do. The uniforms were on the ship. They're on a marine ship, not the Going Merry, so it naturally had marine supplies on it. Hope that helps :) **

**Kitsune Foxfire: Hehe well you saw a bit of it in the chapter but it's a little different... you'll see how in the next few chapters. Next chapter starts the Arlong arc but Sanji hasn't officially joined yet. Same. I've enjoyed OCs added in as side characters and the like, but so far an OC as the main hasn't worked out in the stories I've read :/**

**Bluebird42: It's on the backburner but it's because I'm having issues with writing it, not because I don't want to :/ Hehe Alabasta is coming up! But first, Arlong!**

**spoons-are-evil: Yep. That's exactly why I wrote that part - irony :D I miss him too T^T He's such a fun character to write... Yeah, actually, he kind of was like ****_Divide!_****Sabo! in the last chapter. Damn, he's seeping into my other stories... he's like an incurable disease. Yeah, I think OC main characters should stick to original stories personally. **

**Son Goshen: Yes he is :D But he's too thick to realize it! =_=; Naturally, you can see the issues this could create. Seriously, I'm excited for his reunion with Ace too. That's going to be so much fun to write. But I need to get through the Arlong arc first. Sadly this chapter was slow due to writer's block... hehe...**

**Cyborgnetics: Glad you like! I enjoy Sanji's perverted side. I find it hilarious XD**

**99 luffy: Welcome :)**

**mi-chan94: Hehe yep. And soon he won't be interested in Captain either! He cares way too much about strength XD**

**Starry Roses: I've got lots and lots of plans for the Arlong arc yet I want to keep it fairly short, like 3-4 chapters, so... yeah. This is going to be difficult XD But I've got even more plans for Alabasta! Which is going to be like my favourite part of the fic to write until the special at the end of the story! Same. I notice they just make their OCs perfect or cliché and it's just annoying to read. I'm sure your stories will get more reviews! Just keep writing :) I sometimes get a ton of reviews and then other times I get very little, so I guess it just depends on... the chapter? o.o I don't know, I'm not sure why sometimes people review and other times they don't hehe. I always review everything I read. But if you want I can take a look at some of your fics ^^**

**KTDLover: Glad you like it ^^ I'm happy you like Luffy! I remember when I first posted this fic a lot of people said they hated him hehe... I know how you feel. Every time I look for fics I'm bombarded with OC stories u_u**

**RedPhoenix2012: Here you go! :D **

**ClaireW: So happy you like it! Sanji is hard to make join. It's going to be very different in the fic but hopefully I'll do alright. Thanks for the support!**

**The-Chibi-Master564: Hehe glad you like it! And thanks for the cookies! I'm the first person to reply to your review in-chapter? Really? Well, I guess it makes sense since not many people do it :)**

**RexLink: Yes he would XD Isn't it hard? But honestly I picture them almost the same as they are as pirates only, well, in uniform. They're not that different, it's just that they work for the government. But obviously they're not going to be your conventional marines XD I miss Thatch too T^T I feel bad for killing him off. Yeah, I really don't like OCxCanon pairings... I agree with you completely!**

**Naru-sama: Well canon for now XD Things are about to be switched up. Here it is~**

**azab: Glad you like!**

**ASLfangirl: I know how you feel u_u Even though his death was sudden and not particularly heart-wrenching in this fic, I feel bad about it. I know I had to, but... it's Thatch! I love that guy! Yep, hand got better. For the most part. It's permanently damaged but it's as good as it's going to get. As an art student it sucks but meh I've dealt with it so far.**

**Swinging Pendulum: So glad you like my fics! I'm happy you think it does. This story and ****_Skip_**** are hard to write because I'm trying to vaguely keep to the canon which makes my life difficult. Hope this chapter worked well! Sorry for the slow update, but at least the story's not dead! :D So you read my other stories? Hope to see you around in the future ^^**

**buslimpan: Yeah, it is pretty strange. I had trouble getting used to writing him as a marine, too. Glad you're enjoying ^^ Hehe I will be hinting at how he lost his memories for a while, but you'll get to read actual flashbacks later on.**

**Lily david zephyr: Glad you like it! Hehe yep, Garp is very proud. Actually Garp's a pretty important character in this fic because Luffy's a marine... which is fun for me, because I don't get enough of a chance to write him in my other fics! Thank you! You flatter me ^^**

**(And that's all for this update. Hopefully it won't take as long to get the next one out. In the meantime, feel free to check out my other stuff! Also, I've got two new fics that'll likely be out in a month or so. I got 6 chapters of the first one written out already and 4 of the second one but I'm waiting until I know I can keep up with updates to post them. So look forward to that! They're kind of crappy, though, I admit... I tried! Ahem. So please review and I hope you have a wonderful day! Adieu~)**


	14. Navigator

**...It's here. (cue the shocked gasps) Such a long delay... I'm sorry, really. But here you go! Finally after this I'll be going away from canon scenes and back to the original storyline, so it'll get more interesting from here on out.**

**Announcement: This story is going on hiatus. Now hold on, wait a minute before yelling at me (though you're free to rant as much as you want, I don't mind) because I'm going to explain. It's not that I'm not going to be working on the story, it's that I'm going to stop posting the chapters for a bit. See, I don't want to make you guys wait as long as I have been for the next chapter, so I'm going to write the next FIVE chapters and then start posting them again. This way even if I'm having trouble with a chapter, you'll still get an update. It's what I've been doing with my newer fics ****_Within_**** and ****_Flame and Phoenix_**** so it'll work for this story, too. The reason these past few chapters took me so long to get through was because they're very similar to canon and I don't have as much fun writing them as I do with my original scenes. But that's over. There'll be a tiny bit of the Arlong arc at the beginning of the next chapter, but otherwise it's mainly original. And the hiatus will likely only last a month (though I make no promises) because I'm actually interested in writing it since we're finally at the part I've been looking forward to. So just a little longer and this story will once more have regular updates! And you can keep track of my progress by visiting my profile during the hiatus. Sound good?**

**Dislaimer: For those of you who forgot over my long absence, I don't own One Piece :P**

* * *

Luffy scowled. "I'm not coming back, Gramps."

"What? Why?" the old marine's voice bellowed through the baby den den mushi.

The boy held back his irritation, evening his voice and taking a firm tone. He would remain calm. He wouldn't snap. He wouldn't yell. But _damn_ was he angry. "I don't even have a ship, old man!" he shouted, anger bubbling to the surface of the young marine captain.

The boat they were on was small and cramped, barely fit to ride across East Blue yet alone venture into the Grand Line. Of course, there was no way for the Vice Admiral to know that, but being called up by the man after finding out that his crewmate stole his ship put him in a foul mood. Earlier Nami had pushed Yosaku and Johnny overboard, commandeering the marine vessel that belonged to Luffy. Usopp, Zoro, Johnny and Yosaku had gone ahead to track her down, but Yosaku returned and explained her likely destination. Thanks to the people at Baratie, Luffy, Sanji and Yosaku were able to chase after them with one of the head chef's boats. Yosaku protested, warning of a dangerous pirate crew based there, but he ignored the bounty hunter. It didn't matter if they were entering the Arlong pirates' territory. He was a marine—it was his _job_ to take out scum like him!

"How did that happen?" Garp asked, a bit taken aback by the news.

Luffy snorted, disgust clear in his tone. "Does it matter? I'll get it back, but it'll take time. Find someone else for the mission."

He heard his grandfather sigh. "Report back once you've retrieved it," he ordered before cutting the line.

Luffy placed the den den mushi back onto the surface of the boat, ever-present scowl on his face. He should have been happy since Sanji agreed to go with them, but he wasn't. He was disappointed in his navigator, not angry. After getting to know her, he thought she would know to come to him if something was troubling her—because he refused to believe that she betrayed them. Even if his crew wasn't fond of the marines, they were still loyal to him. They were good people and Nami was no different.

He would find out soon. They were nearing the island—the one under Arlong's control. Apparently he'd taken base there long ago and no marines had bothered to fight against him. Why was that?

The captain quickly became aware of the stares his two companions were giving him. "What?" he asked, blinking blankly as he looked at them.

Sanji lit a new cigarette, placing it between his lips. "Never seen you in such a foul mood, you shitty marine."

Ah, that's right—they didn't know him very well. With his journey across East Blue going so smoothly, he'd been carefree as of late. There was nothing for him to contemplate and little to worry over, so his crew wasn't really familiar with his 'work' face.

He sighed. His crew hadn't really had any reason to act like marines yet, had they? That was about to change. "Yosaku, what can you tell me about this Arlong guy?"

* * *

Luffy held firmly to his hat as the boat careened through the air, hovering above the island. He smiled. "It's like flying through the sky!"

"It's not 'like'!" Yosaku shouted.

"It's _really_ flying, you—"

"We're falling!"

The boat lowered into the trees, branches flying at them as it descended. Luffy wasn't fazed by it in the least. In fact it was exciting—brought him out of his earlier bad mood and allowed him to have a little fun before he had to begin his job.

Birds chirped frantically as they scattered out of the way of the wooden vessel, giving the boat a place to land. Even as it hit the ground it didn't stop, continuing with the momentum it held in the air. "Landing complete!" Luffy shouted cheerfully from the front of the boat, enjoying the ride far more than he should have.

Through the trees and shrubbery, he barely made out a familiar head of green hair. "Yo! Zoro!" he cheered, ignoring the way his first mate's eyes bulged as the bow of the ship approached fast, slamming into him with full force before finally coming to a halt when it crashed into a cliff, destroying everything in its wake.

Luffy laughed. Well, that was fun. "Looks like we're here," he stated nonchalantly as he dusted his straw hat.

"You bastard…" Zoro cursed as he threw some pieces of wood from above him, standing as he broke free of the crash site. "What the hell are you doing?" His question ended in a bit of a shout. Apparently he didn't like having the boat ram into him like that. Oh well.

"We've come to take Nami back," the marine stated simply as he replaced his hat atop his head. She didn't betray them—he knew that. No one would ever get him to think otherwise. "Still haven't found her?" Then he recalled the others who went to retrieve their navigator. "Oh yeah. Where are Usopp and Johnny?"

"Usopp?" Zoro repeated, a flash of realization spreading across his face. Luffy didn't like that reaction. "That's right—this isn't the time to be idling around," he stated before dashing away.

"What happened?" Luffy questioned, clear concern in his voice.

The swordsman stopped and turned to his captain. "He was caught by Arlong. If we don't hurry he'll be killed."

"He's dead," came a voice to Luffy's left. They all turned their heads to see Johnny, face a pallid white.

"…What?"

The tattooed bounty hunter, covered in dirt and wounds, fell to his knees. His breaths were heavy and panicked as he tried to compose himself. "…It's too late."

Luffy narrowed his eyes as their companion lowered his face to the ground.

"Usopp is dead." He punched the ground as words fell from his mouth. "He was killed!" Raising his head once more, tears formed behind his sunglasses, lip quivering. "Nami killed him!"

While his companions' faces contorted into blank looks, shock clear in their eyes, Luffy gripped his hat and tilted his head down, allowing its rim to cast shadows over his eyes. It only took those three words to see through the man's claim. While he clearly believed it, the marine knew otherwise. Nami, no matter what position she was in or what other crimes she committed, would never kill someone she called her friend.

Usopp was nakama. He was alive.

* * *

"I'll tell you one thing," Nami began, "Arlong wants to kill Roronoa Zoro and his group, all because Zoro went and did something stupid. You guys may have these monster-like powers, but you're no match for real monsters. Hang around this island long enough and you'll be killed." She grinned. "Well, it doesn't matter to me."

"Hi, Nami!" Sanji shouted cheerily, flailing his arms about as he ignored what she said. "It's me! Remember? Let's go on a cruise together!"

Luffy sighed. It seemed his new cook had a one-track mind when it came to women. Well, not that he really needed to be concerned with the redhead's obvious lie.

"You stay out of this," Zoro commanded, "You'll just complicate things."

Sanji glared at the man, face fading into a scowl. "What did you say?"

Zoro turned around, ignoring the blonde cook's rambling in favour of facing the woman in front of them. "Where's Usopp?"

"At the bottom of the sea," she replied.

Well, that was enough of that. Luffy was tired of the conversation. He needed to hurry up and get his ship back—navigator included—and maybe beat up that Arlong guy for good measure. He had to keep to his duties as a marine, after all.

"Cut the act," he commanded, voice low and stern as he gripped his hat.

"What act?" she asked, crossing her arms and turning away slightly. "I'll give back your ship so why don't you find a navigator and head to the Grand Line? Just get out of here—you're an eyesore."

"I'm not leaving," Luffy stated, folding his arms. "I don't really care what's going on here, but dealing with pirates is part of my job so I'm going to have a look at that Arlong guy. And I've already decided you'll be my navigator; I'm not going to look for another one."

Nami gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, unabashed anger seeping from her whole body. "Do whatever you want!" she shouted as she turned on her heel and stormed off, not looking back even once.

The marine smiled. If nothing else, her actions just then proved it. She was worried.

* * *

As a fight broke out between the swordsman and cook, they went on the attack. Their blows were intercepted, however, by the face of a man they thought dead. As the full force of Zoro's hilt and Sanji's kick were made known by the pain on Usopp's face, the pair stood there with blank expressions.

"…He's still alive?"

"…No, I think he's dead now."

* * *

Luffy laughed. He knew his sniper was alive and around there somewhere, so he wasn't surprised when Zoro and Sanji 'found' him.

The man regained consciousness. "Luffy, you're here?"

"I heard you were killed by Nami," Zoro stated, folding his arms.

"Oh, well… it's actually the opposite. Nami saved my life."

The marine remained silent, listening to the truth that Usopp spoke. While he was certain all along that Nami hadn't betrayed them and that the liar—or, _sniper_—was still alive, he didn't know the circumstances surrounding the event. He'd pay close attention to what the man had to say.

* * *

"Doctor! Doctor!"

Luffy was brought from his thought by a man's frantic call. Looking, he saw the man he spotted earlier—the one who had a pinwheel on his hat. _Pinwheel… I wonder if I could use that…_

"What's wrong, Gen?" another asked.

"Nojiko's been shot," he stated. Luffy's eyes narrowed. That was the name of Nami's sister, wasn't it? The one who was not related to her by blood, but was still family…

Like Ace…

Shaking his head to free himself of such unimportant drabble, the marine focused on the small crowd that had formed, spotting a head of blue hair through the villagers huddling together. That was her. Sure enough, she was bleeding, Nami at her side the whole time.

"By who?"

"The marines," Gin replied.

Luffy's blood ran cold as he remembered the group of marines he passed earlier, his eyes widening as something clicked in his head. He wondered why no fleets had been dispatched to the island to take out the Arlong pirates and now he knew. It made him sick.

The one in front, the captain—and he used that term loosely because he wasn't fit for such a title—made a deal with the pirates. It probably involved gold, riches and the like. They would keep quiet about the turmoil the inhabitants of the island were in so long as they could make a few beli. Then all Arlong would have to deal with was the occasional patrol ship, which wouldn't be hard to take out, and he could go about his day.

Trash like that didn't deserve to call themselves marines—didn't deserve to share the rank of 'captain' with Luffy. And compared to Whitebeard's men, pirates like Arlong were no better—unfit to sail the same seas.

Cooling his anger and disgust for the moment, he returned to observing the scene.

"Nojiko?"

"I… I'm fine," she replied quietly, wincing as her breathing pulled at the bullet wound.

"Arlong was collaborating with the marines," Gin explained, voice grim as he confirmed all of Luffy's assumptions.

"What?"

"He turned his back on Nami eight years ago and never intended to keep his promise."

"What? That means…"

"That bastard!"

Clenching her jaw, the redhead placed her sister's head gently on the ground and stood.

"Nami…" Luffy called from amongst the crowd, voice slow and apologetic.

She glared at him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "You're _still_ here? Get off this island!" she yelled before releasing him and shoving him to the ground, running past as fast as she could.

Luffy remained silent, watching her figure vanish in the distance. Something akin to dread filled his chest. The situation was… nostalgic. It reminded him of something he didn't want to recall, something far into the distant past. He hated not knowing what it was, but… he didn't want to know, either.

Swallowing heavily in his throat, he pressed onward. There was no time to waste worrying about the past. Nami—the whole island—was in danger. Their lives were on the line and as a marine—no, as someone with strength—it was his duty to help.

Adjusting his hat, he scowled. _This is why I hate pirates._

* * *

"Arlong!" Nami screamed as she once more thrust the blade into her shoulder, mangling the symbol of the Arlong pirates that was inked to her flesh. Blood poured from the multiple stab wounds as she continued, rolling across her skin to the ground, her face a mess of tears and rage.

Luffy watched silently as his navigator broke down before finally grabbing her wrist, halting any further damage. She froze and quieted, looking over her shoulder.

"Luffy…" The dagger slipped from her grasp, clanking onto the ground beneath their feet. Nami hung her head, her fury fading with the wind. "…What do you want? You don't know anything. You don't know what's happened these past eight years."

"You're right; I don't."

He could see her begin to tremble. "This is none of your business." Her nails dug into the dirt. "I told you to leave the island, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did."

"Go away!" She threw dirt at the marine standing behind her, curling unto herself further. "Go away! _Go away!_" the redhead kept repeating those words, her voice growing raw—hoarse—as she screamed with all the strength she had. "Go away…" She whined, unable to keep her pitch as it faded into sobs.

Luffy closed his eyes, remaining quiet as he allowed her to let out any emotions she wished.

Her voice cracked as she crouched there on the ground, holding herself up with shaking arms before raising her hand to her mouth, trying to smother her cries. It was futile and, as she looked over her shoulder one more time, the marine could see the full extent of her fear and desperation. Her eyes pleaded with him and were all he needed to make up his mind. "Luffy… help me."

Without a word, face a blank mask hiding his emotions, he removed his hat and gently placed it atop her head. "Of course," he replied simply before turning and walking towards his waiting crew.

As soon as he heard that, Arlong was already dead.

* * *

**A/N: There we go! :D I'm not going to be including their fights from this arc because, well, they're the same as canon. There are two reasons why I had to include Nami's arc: the first is so that you could better see some of the differences this Luffy shares with his canon counterpart and the second you'll find out later. It'll only be a few more chapters before Ace and Luffy reunite (we've all been waiting for that - myself included) so don't worry, the boring part is over!**

**Also no omake this chapter (it was a serious one, so I didn't feel the need) but they'll be returning after the hiatus!**

**To my lovelies~**

**samettikettu: Honestly, with my luck my hand'll get injured again right before the fall semester starts XD Scary, isn't it? :D**

**Starry Roses: It really is u_u Sorry for the slow updates, it's just... I REALLY don't like narrating canon scenes. Like at all. But even though there will be canon elements, the story will mostly be original from here on out so it'll be fun to write again!**

**buslimpan: Glad you like :) Well first is Marine HQ, THEN Alabasta. But yes, they'll be meeting again soon :)**

**Williamgbirkin: There stories are going to be quite different from canon ;) Though only Robin's will be really important. Alvida's still around terrorizing East Blue since Luffy wasn't there to stop her :/ Damn you, Luffy, being a marine e_e**

**ClaireW: Awe, so happy you like it! And so sorry I took so long... Thanks! I appreciate your support!**

**Bluebird42: Here you go :D**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: You're welcome~**

**BluePhoenix0101: Yep, once Luffy's mind is set, there's no changing it.**

**Guest: Same as what happened in canon :)**

**MysticMaiden 18: You're welcome! **

**99 luffy: Thanks ^^**

**Gol D. Liandra: Marineford should be fun... if it happens ;) Yes, they'll meet at Alabasta. But I make no promises about character death u_u**

**MeikoKuran999: Let's just say Robin is going to be a VERY interesting aspect to the story ;) Sadly Bibi won't have as big of a role in the fic as she did in canon :(**

**Naru-sama: Glad you like ^^**

**Son Goshen: I'm excited for that part too, and I'm the one writing it XD**

**KTDLover: Here you go!**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Yep, Alabasta soon-ish! That's when this story will come alive again muahaha... I feel refreshed every time I update this, I swear XD**

**Dancing on Clouds of Sorrow: Glad you like! Here's an update~**

**The-Chibi-Master564: You're welcome~**

**mad100141: You should try it. Writing can be so much fun~ Actually, it was mostly my other stories getting in the way of updating this one hehe... **

**spoons-are-evil: Sadly, you won't be finding out for a while. (I know what you mean - I'm like that with the fics I read, too XD) Exactly! Luffy's kind of scary that way...**

**Lily D zephyr: He's not suppose to be very funny :P Remember how he acted towards Ace in the beginning? He's much more serious, you know? Actually the reason he's like that has to do with why he agreed to erase his memories, not with him being a marine. But we'll het to that later :) Alabasta's coming soon~**

**Guest (2): I would do the other option, but I really don't have the time with how many stories I have going already ^^;**

**LostFairyMantic: Hehe glad you enjoy it!**

**(There we go, your update! It's been a while. A long while. Too long. And now it's going on hiatus. But not actually because I'll be working on it. But I won't be updating. But you'll be happy for it later! But... Ah, you get it. I hope you enjoyed and if you want to read something while waiting for me to get those five chapters done, feel free to take a look at my other fics. There's another amnesia one called ****_Within_**** *nudge nudge* But seriously guys, thanks for being so patient and waiting for this. Sorry for the delay and I hope you had fun with this chapter. Adieu~)**


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